Wilson prepares for RSC debut

IH

18 September 2009

RICHARD Wilson is preparing to make his RSC debut at Stratford in Twelfth Night.
RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran new production of Shakespeare’s comedy will perform a straight 5 week run at The Courtyard Theatre between October 15 and November 21 and then transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre in London.
Wilson, who plays Malvolio, is best known for his role of grumpy Victor Meldrew in the TV comedy series One Foot in the Grave for which he has won many awards including the British Comedy Awards Top Television Comedy Actor Award and two BAFTAs.
His long and distinguished career as both actor and director in theatre, film and TV. Most recently he has appeared on the small screen in Merlin, Demons, and New Tricks, while on the stage he has been seen in Whipping it Up (Bush Theatre/West End), Waiting for Godot (Royal Exchange) and What the Butler Saw (National Theatre ).
As director his recent work includes Rainbow Kiss, The Woman Before (both Royal Court) and Primo (NT, South Africa, Hampstead, Broadway and then for television on BBC/HBO), among many others.
Wilson is a former associate director of the Royal Court Theatre, and was awarded an OBE in 1994 for services to drama as director and actor.
Doran said: "I am delighted to have finally persuaded Richard Wilson to play Malvolio, a part he was surely born to play. Twelfth Night is surely the most achingly sad of all Shakespeare’s comedies tinged with a melancholy sadness and almost Chekhovian in its sense of loss."
Joining Wilson in Twelfth Night are James Fleet and Richard McCabe playing the irrepressible duo, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch., with Nancy Carroll as Viola, Alexandra Gilbreath as Olivia, Jo Stone-Fewings as Orsino, Sam Alexander as Sebastian and Miltos Yerolemou as Feste.
Fleet, who is also making his RSC debut, will also be a well-known face to many. His many roles include Frederick Dorrit in the BBC’s recent adaptation of Little Dorrit, John Dashwood in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility, Tom in Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Hugo in The Vicar of Dibley.
The company also includes: Ian Abeysekera (Officer), Laurence Dobiesz (Valentine), Alan Francis (Sea Captain), Tony Jayawardena (Fabian), Simeon Moore (Antonio), Pamela Nomvete (Maria), Demi Oyediran (Lady), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Priest), Ashley Taylor-Rhys (Curio) and Maya Wasowicz (Lady).
Doran’s recent RSC productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet performed in The Courtyard Theatre before transferring for an acclaimed run in London’s West End in 2008/9 for which Hamlet won the Whatsonstage award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the film adaptation of which will be screened on BBC2 this year and then available on DVD.
For tickets and further details visit www.rsc.org.uk or call the RSC Ticket Hotline on 0844 800 1110.

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