Award-winning stage actor William Houston will star in Lucy Bailey’s revival of Titus Andronicus this summer alongside an impressive company of stage regulars.
Bailey’s revisiting of Shakespeare’s bloody drama, following her hugely successful production at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2002, will return to open the outdoor theatre’s 2014 summer season. Houston will be joined in the leading cast by Indira Varma, Obi Abili, Matthew Needham and Ian Gelder.
Starring in the grisly story packed with pitch-black comedy and terrible violence as its title character, Houston was last seen on the London stage when he replaced Iain Glen in Bailey’s production of Fortune’s Fool at the Old Vic. The Evening Standard Theatre Award-winning performer takes on the role following numerous credits with the Royal Shakespeare Company that include turns as many of Shakespeare’s other leading men including Henry V and the Titus rivalling gore-loving Coriolanus.
Varma will follow her recent role in The Hothouse at the Trafalgar Studios to play his enemy, Tamora Queen of the Goths. Better known for her screen roles in popular series including Luther, Silk and Rome, the actor is soon to be seen in the latest series of Game Of Thrones.
Completing the leading cast are Abili, who counts Six Degrees Of Separation at the Old Vic and The Brothers Size at the Young Vic among his many credits, as Aaron, Royal Shakespeare Company regular Needham in the role of Saturninus and Game Of Thrones’ Gelder as Marcus Andronicus, who returns to the stage following the Donmar Warehouse’s recent hit Roots.
Completing the cast for the production are Steffan Donnelly, Dyfan Dwyfor, Samuel Edward-Cook, Paul Ham, Nicholas Karimi, Jake Mann, Brian Martin, Bryonie Pritchard, David Shaw-Parker, Flora Spencer-Longhurst and Jamie Wilkes.
Titus Andronicus, which will also include music by jazz musical Django Bates, will play from 24 April to 13 July.