John Heffernan and Anna Maxwell Martin will take on the iconic pairing of Macbeth and his ruthless wife in Carrie Cracknell and Lucy Guerin’s forthcoming production at the Young Vic.
The hugely exciting casting news is joined by an equally inspired list of newly confirmed appearances for the acclaimed Waterloo venue’s autumn season, with Paul Ready and Zubin Varla joining the Romola Garai-led Measure For Measure, which has extended by one weeks due to huge demand, Emily Barclay and Sam Troughton set to lead a production of La Musica and full casting confirmed for Creditors.
Following his leading roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Oppenheimer, Edward II at the National Theatre and The Hothouse, rising star Heffernan will take on his biggest role yet to lead the ambitious new staging of Macbeth from 26 November to 16 January.
While his future Lady Macbeth is one of the theatre’s most in demand actors, having starred in Measure For Measure (Almeida), West End production of The Female Of The Species and Cabaret, and numerous National Theatre productions (His Dark Materials, Three Sisters, The Coast Of Utopia), the Poppy Shakespeare BAFTA winner will make her Young Vic debut in the Shakespeare tragedy.
The pair will be joined in Cracknell and Guerin’s theatrically bold staging by actors Mark Ebulue (Frantic Assembly’s Othello), Ira Siobhan Mandela (Everyman, NT) and Prasanna Puwanarajah (The Vote, Donmar Warehouse), alongside renowned dancers Clemmie Sveaas, Thomasin Gulgeç and Ana Beatriz Meireles.
Prior to Macbeth’s run, highly anticipated productions of Creditors, La Musica and Measure For Measure will play as part of the Young Vic’s packed autumn season.
Genesis Future Directors Award winner Rikki Henry will kick things off when he directs David Greig’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s exploration of the ethics of love Creditors from 9 to 19 September.
The production will star a trio of Young Vic debutants: Posh star Jolyon Coy (Our Boys, West End; The Prince Of Hamburg, Donmar Warehouse), Tom Rhys Harries (Mojo, West End; Hotel, NT) and Gyuri Sarrossy (The Absence Of War, Rose Theatre Kingston).
Marguerite Duras’ La Musica, which runs from 24 September to 17 October, by contrast boasts a cast featuring two familiar faces to Young Vic audiences. RSC regular Troughton most recently starred in the Olivier Award-winning production of Bull and also appeared in Benedict Andrews’ hugely acclaimed Three Sisters alongside his forthcoming co-star Barclay.
Concluding today’s casting updates is Joe Hill-Gibbins’ forthcoming take on Measure For Measure, which will now run from 1 October to 14 November due to huge demand from the public to see the innovative director’s take on Shakespeare’s tale of injustice and sexual politics.
Joining Garai in the leading cast is Ready who, like Garai, will make his Young Vic debut in the show to play Angelo following a string of credits at both the Royal Court (Terrorism, In The Republic Of Happiness, Wastwater) and National Theatre (A Woman Killed With Kindness, London Assurance, Time And The Conways).
Varla follows his role in Hill Gibbins’ 2012 production of The Changeling to play the Duke, with the cast completed by Hammed Animashaun, Tom Edden, Ivanno Jeremiah, John Mackay, Sarah Malin, Natalie Simpson, Cath Whitefield and Matthew Wynn.