Olivier Award winners Zoë Wanamaker and John Dagleish are the latest stars to join the line-up of Kenneth Branagh’s highly anticipated West End season of plays at the Garrick Theatre.
Wanamaker returns to the West End to take on the role of Dame Maud alongside Dagleish in Terence Rattigan’s Harlequinade, the comic story of a classical theatre company’s attempt to stage productions of The Winter’s Tale and Romeo And Juliet, in October.
The Harry Potter and My Family actress, whose hugely successful stage career has seen her pick up two of London theatre’s prestigious prizes, will also perform Rattigan’s powerfully atmospheric monologue All On Her Own as part of the season.
Never before seen in the West End, the piece about a woman with a heart-breaking and sinister secret will be performed by Wanamaker, whom Branagh describes as “A brilliant comedienne and a great tragic actress”, prior to each performance of Harlequinade.
The Rattigan double bill, which marks Wanamaker’s return to the London stage following her recent performance in Stevie at the Hampstead Theatre, will play in rep with The Winter’s Tale.
Dagleish will not only appear in Harlequinade but also in Branagh’s production of the Bard’s timeless tragicomedy, which will see him swap his critically acclaimed current role in the West End’s hit The Kinks musical to play Autolycus in the altogether more chilly-titled tale.
Dagleish, who joins a cast including Judi Dench and Branagh, won the Best Actor in a Musical accolade at the Olivier Awards with MasterCard in April, taking home the coveted statuette for his portrayal of The Kinks’ frontman Ray Davies.
All three productions – The Winter’s Tale, Harlequinade and All On My Own – will feature music by Oscar nominated composer Patrick Doyle, who reunites with Branagh following their work together on his hit film Cinderella.
The trio of shows are the first to open in the excitement-inducing season, which will also include the Rob Brydon and Branagh-led The Painkiller, Richard Madden and Lily James in Romeo And Juliet and The Entertainer, in which Branagh also stars.
Tickets for the season, which kicks off on 17 October, can be booked through us.