Academy Award nominated actor Stephen Rea will lead the cast of David Ireland’s Cyprus Avenue at the Royal Court next year.
News of Rea’s stage return comes as the Sloane Square venue also announces casting for two of its upcoming 2015 productions, with Kim Cattrall’s fellow Linda performers and the cast of You For Me For You confirmed.
No stranger to the Royal Court’s stage having appeared in a host of shows at the venue including Ashes To Ashes, Captain Oates Left Stock and Endgame, Rea returns to the London stage following his 2014 performance in the National Theatre’s production of Ballyturk. Equally well-known for his appearances on screen, Rea’s television credits include The Shadow Line and The Honourable Woman as well as films including V For Vendetta, Breakfast On Pluto and The Crying Game, the latter of which earned him his prestigious Oscar nomination.
The Irish actor leads the cast of Cyprus Avenue from 5 April to 7 May in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. The play, Ireland’s first for the Royal Court, follows the story of Belfast loyalist Eric Miller who believes his five-week old granddaughter is Gerry Adams.
The story of one man struggling with the past and terrified of the future will open in spring next year following the venue’s forthcoming 2015 offerings Linda and For You For Me For You.
Sex And The City star Cattrall will be joined in Penelope Skinner’s Linda, which plays in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from 25 November to 9 January, by Mr Selfridge star Amy Beth Hayes (Jerusalem, Royal Court), Dominic Mafham (The Merchant Of Venice, Shakespeare’s Globe), Imogen Byron (Pride And Prejudice, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Ian Redford (Romeo And Juliet, Shakespeare’s Globe).
Completing the cast are Royal Court returnee Jaz Deol (The Djinns Of Eidgah), Misfits’ Karla Crome and recent Manchester School of Theatre graduate Merriel Plummer.
The tale of a woman who’s dedicated her life to changing the world, Linda follows the title character (Cattrall), an inspiring mother and an independent, loving wife, as she embarks on her most ambitious plan to date. At the age of 55 she may seem to have it all but beneath the surface the cracks are starting to show. Due to popular demand additional performances of Linda have been scheduled for the Christmas period.
Today’s casting news is completed by the six performers set to appear in Mia Chung’s You For Me For You in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs from 3 December to 9 January.
The story of two North Korean sisters torn apart at the border will feature a cast comprising Harry Potter’s Katie Leung (The World Of Extreme Happiness, NT), Chimerica co-stars Wendy Kweh and Andrew Leung, Daisy Haggard (Becky Shaw, Almeida Theatre), Paapa Essiedu (RSC’s Hamlet) and Kwong Loke (Hiawatha, The Old Vic).
Richard Twyman’s production follows the story of Minhee and Junhee as they race across time and space, navigating the perilous Land of the Free and the treacherous terrain of personal belief to be together again.
All three shows will open at the Royal Court following the venue’s current productions, RoosevElvis and Plaques And Tangles, which play until 14 and 21 November respectively.