Dominic Rowan, fresh from a summer season at Shakespeare’s Globe, will lead the cast of a new revival of The Spanish Tragedy this autumn, when it is staged at the Arcola theatre in October.
Written in the late 16th century by Thomas Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy, with its tale of a captured son and a murdered Spanish officer, is said to have been the first revenge tragedy, inspiring the likes of Marlowe, Jonson and Shakespeare to dabble with this new genre.
Its revival at Dalston’s Arcola theatre is the first professional London production since Michael Bogdanov staged it at the National Theatre 25 years ago.
Rowan is a regular London performer, appearing in productions including Under The Blue Sky (Duke of York’s theatre), A Voyage Round My Father (Donmar Warehouse and Wyndham’s theatre), Playhouse Creatures (Old Vic) and numerous productions at the National Theatre. He is currently appearing at Shakespeare’s Globe, where he plays Washington in Trevor Griffiths’s new play A New World: A Life Of Thomas Paine and Touchstone in As You Like It.
Penny Layden and Keith Bartlett, who star alongside Rowan, also spent their summers at the al fresco venue; Layden appeared in Romeo And Juliet and Helen, while Bartlett is currently performing opposite Rowan, playing Franklin in A New World: A Life Of Thomas Paine.
The cast is completed by Guy Williams, Richard Clews, Charlie Covell, Patrick Myles, Hasan Dixon, Richard Shanks, Andrew Fallaize, Francis Ortega and Msimisi Dlamini.
The Spanish Tragedy, which runs from 14 October to 14 November (press night 20 October), is directed by Mitchell Moreno, who has previously worked at the Finborough theatre and Orange Tree theatre.
MA