Arthur Darvill will swap Doctor Who for a very different companion this summer as he joins the cast of Matthew Dunster’s Doctor Faustus, which plays at Shakespeare’s Globe from next month.
Darvill, who is best known for starring opposite Matt Smith as the Doctor’s companion Rory, joins the previously announced Paul Hilton in the cast. Restless for knowledge and power, Faustus (Hilton) forsakes scholarship and makes a pact with the devil. In exchange for his soul, the Devil offers the naive Faustus the service of the evil spirit Mephistopheles (Darvill) for 24 years, providing him with magic and knowledge beyond his wildest dreams.
This production marks Darvill’s debut will have acted at the famous outdoor venue, although the multi-talented actor is also a musician and composer and collaborated with Ché Walker on the Globe’s 2008 production, The Frontline.
As well as appearing in Doctor Who, Darvill has also appeared on screen in Little Dorrit and ITV’s He Kills Coppers. Nominated in 2007 for Best Newcomer at the Evening Standard Awards for his role in Swimming With Sharks at the Vaudeville theatre, the actor’s theatre credits also include Tierre Haute at the Trafalgar Studios and Stacy at the Arcola.
Dunster’s take on the classic play will be the first ever production of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus at the Globe theatre. The production will use puppetry to transform the theatre into a wildly spectacular arena with flying dragons and horned stilt walkers bringing the dark story alive.
The 2011 Globe season, entitled The Word is God, opened last night with All’s Well That Ends Well. Doctor Faustus opens on 23 June (previews from 18 June) and plays in rep until 2 October.
CM