Casting is today announced for the HOME and Lyric Hammersmith production of othellomacbeth, which runs 14-29 September at HOME in Manchester and 05 October – 03 November at the Lyric Hammersmith.
othellomacbeth is a striking, condensed staging of two of Shakespeare’s most brutal and poetic plays. Told by an ensemble company, these two iconic stories collide in a dynamic and visceral new production.
The company of nine actors play characters in both Othello and Macbeth. As Macbeth and Cassio is Sandy Grierson, who has performed extensively with the RSC, most recently in Dido, Queen of Carthage and Doctor Faustus (also at the Barbican theatre). In the role of Bianca is Kezrena James, whose credits include The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales at The Globe and Bristol Old Vic. Joining them in the role of Emilia is Melissa Johns who is most known for playing Imogen in Coronation Street, her other credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Sheffield Crucible and BBC’s The Interceptor.
The full cast includes: Samuel Collings (Iago/Macduff), Grace Cookey Gam (Ludovico/Lennox), Paul Courtenay Hyu (Brabantio/Duncan), Caroline Faber (Lady Macbeth), Kirsten Foster (Desdemona), Sandy Grierson (Cassio/Macbeth), Kezrena James (Bianca), Melissa Johns (Emilia) and Ery Nzaramba (Othello/Banquo).
Directed by Jude Christian, who most recently co-directed the sell-out, Royal Court production of My Mum’s a Twat with Vicky Featherstone, as well as the 2015 hit Lela & Co, also at the Royal Court. Jude is also an associate director at the Lyric Hammersmith (The Seagull, Jack and the Beanstalk), and returns to Manchester following her work directing the Royal Exchange and Bush Theatre production of Parliament Square.
Jude Christian, Director of othellomacbeth said: “This production is an ambitious endeavour, and I’m really excited to have such a passionate, fearless cast to work with. They’re rigorously bringing to life these two monoliths of British culture and asking what they mean in Britain today.”
othellomacbeth is designed by Basia Binkowska, the overall winner of the Linbury Prize 2017. The Linbury Prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for Stage Design, providing a unique opportunity for graduating designers to work with some of the UK’s leading theatre, opera and dance companies. Full cast biographies can be found below:
Caroline Faber plays Lady Macbeth:
Theatre credits include: Kanye the First (Hightide Festival Theatre), My Mother Said I Never Should (St James Theatre), No Wit No Help Like A Woman’s (Globe Theatre), Piaf (The Octagon Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Headlong Theatre), Lulu (Gate Theatre), King Lear (Liverpool Everyman), Hangover Square (Finborough Theatre), Frankenstein (Northampton Royal Theatre), Deep Blue Sea (Northcott Theatre), Vermillion Dream, The Merchant of Venice (Salisbury Playhouse), Paradise Lost (Northampton/Tour) Keepers of the Flame (RSC), Charlotte (Soho Theatre), Edward III, The Malcontent (RSC Stratford/Gielgud Theatre), The Norman Conquests (Birmingham Rep), Dangerous Corner (Garrick Theatre), Tender (Hampstead Theatre), Mill on the Floss (Shared Experience), The Heiress (National Theatre), The Colonel Bird (The Gate, Notting Hill), Top Girls (Theatre Royal Plymouth), Kind Hearts and Coronets (Mercury Theatre), The End of the Affair (Salisbury Playhouse/Bridewell), Cavalcade (Sadlers Wells).
Samuel Collings plays Iago/Macduff:
Theatre credits include: Demons, (Splitmoon Theatre Company), Hammer House Of Horror Live (Hoxton Hall), Boudica (Shakespeare’s Globe) Waiting For God (UK Tour), Ernest/ The Fitzrovia Radio Hour’s Christmas Carol (The Vaults), The Inn At Lydda (Shakespeare’s Globe), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (US Tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Squerryes Court), Macbeth (Omnibus), Sleight & Hand (Highbrow TV/BBC Aerts), Antony & Cleopatra (RSC/Public Theater NYC/Miami Gablestage); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chester), Mansfield Park (UK No. 1 Tour) Collision, Stand Up Diggers All (Latitude), Lady Windemere’s Fan, Edward II, Lady From The Sea, The Comedy Of Errors (Royal Exchange), The Black Diamond (Punchdrunk), Sexing The Cherry (Southbank Centre), The Man With The Flower… (Oxford Playhouse/Greenwich Theatre/Tour), 12 Dancing Princesses (V&A), The Carnival (Southwark Playhouse), Breakwater (Liverpool Everyman), So Little Of You Left (Tour/Young Vic Genesis) Dr Faustus, School For Scandal (Greenwich Theatre/Stage on Screen), Ex, The Big Break (Hampstead Theatre), The Garden (Riverside Studios); Without Laughing (Theatre 503), Hangin’ Around (Kneehigh), An Inspector Calls (Dukes Lancaster), The Alice Project (BAC/Spill), Dr Faustus (Liverpool Playhouse), Lock the Gates (Lyric Hammersmith), Misper, Dido & Aeneas (Glyndebourne), Curse Of The Egyptian Mummy (Regent’s Park), Murder In The Cathedral (Westminster/ Southwark Cathedrals).
Film and Television credits include: The Last Tsars, Outlander, New Tricks, The Bible, Holby, The Insiders, Hex, Doctors, Dan Clark’s Guide To Work, Envoi, Sc.25, Bluebird, The Briefcase, A Tale Of 2 Girls, Message In A Bottle.
Kezrena James plays Bianca:
Theatre Credits include: The Little Matchgirl (Shakespeare’s Globe/Bristol Old Vic), Medea (Bristol Old Vic), The Borrowers, Clytemnestra (Sherman Theatre), Primetime, The Faith Machine (The Royal Court), From Morning To Midnight (The National Theatre), Macbeth, Comedy Of Errors, The Secret Garden (Chester Performs), The Winter’s Tale (Open Air Regent’s Park), Sleeping Beauty (Bristol Old Vic), I And The Village, Beast, Blown Apart, Rainy Season (Bristol Ferment), Arabian Nights (The Lowry).
Television credits include: Parch, Crash, Ordinary Lies 2, Being Human, Doctors and Tracy Beaker.
Kirsten Foster plays Desdemona:
Theatre Credits include: Around the World in 80 Days (Kenny Wax Family Entertainment), We’re Stuck, (One Tenth Human/Chinaplate), Romeo and Juliet, (Aquila Theatre), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Aquila Theatre), Misanthropes (Old Vic), Pig Girl (Finborough Theatre), Lennon (Royal Court), Around the World in 80 Days (New Vic Theatre), The Pride (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Macbeth (Redgrave Theatre).
Television credits include: Jekyll and Hyde, Critical, Law and Order: UK, EastEnders, Lewis VII.
Film credits include: Zoe and the Astronaut.
Grace Cookey Gam plays Ludovico/Lennox:
Theatre credits include: Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Menier Chocolate Factory), #Hashtag Lightie (Arcola), Di & Viv & Rose (Stephen Joseph Theatre/New Vic), The Awakening (Jack Studio Theatre), She Talks to Beethoven (Stonecrabs/Headways Festival).
Television credits include: Dawn (Pilot), Tyrant, Saved.
Film credits include: Justice League, The Subject, Child’s Play.
Sandy Grierson plays Cassio/Macbeth:
Theatre credits include: Pity (Royal Court), Dido, Queen of Carthage, Doctor Faustus, What Country Friends: This Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, The Tempest, The 13 Midnight Challenges of Angelus Diablo (RSC), Charlie Sonata, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wizard of Oz (Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre), Drunk Enough to Say I Love You, Lanark, James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte’s Web (Citizens Theatre), Anything That Gives Off Light, The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler, Dunsinane, Home (National Theatre of Scotland), Grit (Pachamama), Mister Holgado (Unicorn Theatre), The Arabian Nights (Tricycle Theatre), Tonight Sandy Grierson Will Lecture, Box and Dance (Edinburgh Assembly Rooms/Greyscale), Saturday Night, The Beggar’s Opera, Subway, Lost Ones, Mancub, Stars Beneath the Sea, The Invisible Man (Vanishing Point), Theatre Brothel (Almeida), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Headlong), My Arm, M, A Prayer (Greyscale), Zorro, Cherry Blossom (Traverse Theatre), Monsters (Arcola), Gagarin Way (Theatre Royal Bath), Oresteia, Witkacy: Idiota, Mr Pinocchio (Lazzi), Fergus Lamont (Communicado), Privately Personal Lives of Dorian Gray (Cumbernauld Theatre), Muffin (Sweetscar), An Oak Tree (News From Nowhere), Romeo and Juliet, Sunset Song (Prime Productions), A Christmas Carol (Wee Stories), Hair of the Dog (Intoto Productions), Tam O’Shanter (Puppet Lab), The Soul of Chien-Nu Leaves Her Body (Young Vic Theatre), Dybuk, Little Requiem for Kantor (Ariel Teatr), The Night of the Great Season (Akne Teatr), Satire of the Four Estates (Wildcat).
Television and film credits include: Victoria and Abdul; Legit; Night People; Captain Abercromby.
Ery Nzaramba plays Othello/Banquo:
Theatre credits include: The Prisoner, Battlefield, The Suit (Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord), The Legend of Hamba, The Epic Adventure of Nhamo (Tiata Fahodzi) The Epic Adventure of Nhamo the Manyika Warrior (Tiata Fahodzi & Tricycle Theatre), The Snow Queen (Trestle Theatre/British Council (India Tour), The Bacchae, Blood Wedding, (Royal & Derngate), Vanhu Vese (Tangle), Slave (Feelgood Theatre), The Three Musketeers, Beauty and the Beast, The Garbage King, The Tempest, The London Eye Misery, Cinderella (Unicorn Theatre), Asylum Dialogues, Rendition Monologues, Asylum Monologues (iceandfire), As You Like It (Curve Theatre), This Child, Headcase, Senses, Sandholm (Company of Angels), Barbaras (Hall for Cornwall), Romeo in the City (Theatre Centre).
Television credits include: Atlantis, The Bill, Midlands Today: Paranormal.
Film credits include: The Gates of Vanity.
Paul Courtenay Hyu plays Brabantio/Duncan:
Theatre credits include: You Never Touched The Dirt (Royal Court), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Martha, Josie & The Chinese Elvis (Birmingham Rep, Watford Palace, Bolton Octagon), US and Them (Hampstead), Take Away (Lyric Hammersmith), The Fantasticks (Singapore Rep), The Wind in the Willows (Royal National Theatre), Three Japanese Women (Soho & Mu-Lan), The Merchant of Venice (Sherman Cardiff), Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Hiawatha Royal (Lyceum Edinburgh), Titus Andronicus (CCQ Dusseldorf), M. Butterfly (Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburgh).
Television credits include: Absentia, SOKO München, Doctor Who, Vera, Happy Valley, Not Going Out, Count Arthur Strong, Funland, Casualty, Coronation Street, Eastenders, Clocking Off, Rather You Than Me, The Marchioness Disaster, Dr Terrible’s House of Horrible, North Square, Meet The Magoons, Smith & Jones 95, One Foot in the Grave.
Film credits include: Jim Knopf & Lukas Der Lokomotivführer, A Christmas Prince, 11th Hour , The Lost Battalion, Wing Commander, The First Nine & a Half Weeks.
Melissa Johns plays Emilia:
Theatre credits include: The Prize (Live Theatre), The Iron Man (GRAEAE), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Sheffield Crucible).
Television credits include: Coronation Street, The Interceptor, SILK, Casualty & Doctors.
othellomacbeth runs at HOME from Fri 14 Sep – Sat 29 Sep. Find out more and book tickets here.