Charlotte Cornwell has joined the cast of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Henry V, which will star Olivier Award winner Michelle Terry in the title role.
Like Terry, veteran stage performer Cornwell will follow recent stage roles in RSC productions of Hamlet and All’s Well That Ends Well to step into the shoes of a role often played by a man in Robert Hastie’s much anticipated production, playing Chorus alongside Ben Wiggins as Princess Katherine.
Playing at the al fresco venue from 17 June, Henry V’s cast also include War And Peace’s David Sibley as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the King of France and Sir Thomas Erpingham, Shakespeare In Love’s Joy Richardson as Alice, House Of Saddam star Philip Arditti as Ancient Pistol and Shakespeare’s Globe regular Phil Cheadle as Bardolph.
Commenting on his forthcoming production of the Bard’s historical recounting of the Battle of Agincourt and the great warrior King’s quest to win the French crown, Hastie said: “As he has done pretty much every year since he died 400 years ago, Shakespeare is proving himself our contemporary. Our first night is the day before the EU referendum. I can’t think of a better time to stage this play about England’s relationship with its European neighbours.”
Henry V’s full company is completed by Catrin Aaron, Alex Bhat, Raphael Bushay, Ryan Ellsworth, Polly Frame, Beruce Khan, Syrus Lowe, Jack McMullen, Dyfrig Morris, Jess Regan, Cat Simmons and Dwane Walcott.
Henry V will be the second production to play in the much-loved summer venue’s 2016 season following the London premiere of Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild, which opens the season next month. The pair will be followed by a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and the return of 2013’s hit Pride And Prejudice.