Gillian Bevan will become the first woman to take on the role of British ruler Cymbeline for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Many roles traditionally played by men will be taken by women in Melly Still’s production: Doreen Blackstock will play Cornelius, Natalie Simpson will be Guiderius, Kelly Williams will play Pisanio and Bethan Cullinane will play Innogen.
Oliver Johnstone, who featured in the Donmar Warehouse’s 2015 production of Christopher Shinn’s Teddy Ferrara, will play Iachimo. Hiran Abeysekera will be Posthumus.
The cast of Cymbeline also includes: Romayne Andrews (Lord 1 / Dutchman / Caius’s attendant / Captain), Eke Chukwu (Caius Lucius), James Clyde (Prince), James Cooney (Arviragus), Marième Diouf (Helen / British attendant / soldier), Kevin N Golding (soldier / tribune), Marcus Griffiths (Cloten), Byron Mondahl (Philario / soldier), Theo Ogundipe (Lord 2 / Spaniard / soldier), Natalie Simpson (Guiderius), Graham Turner (Belarius) and Temi Wilkey (Philharmonius / gentlewoman 2).
Cymbeline is “Shakespeare’s coming-of-age tragicomic romance, a story of power, sexuality and identity—stunningly retold for the 21st century”.
Melly Still designed Tales from Ovid and Midnight's Children for the RSC. Her directing credits include Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen for Glyndebourne Opera and Coram Boy, adapted by Helen Edmundson from a novel by Jamila Gavin, for the National Theatre in 2006.
Designer is Anna Fleischle. Music is by Dave Price and lighting by Philip Gladwell.
Cymbeline runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford from Friday 29 April until Friday 12 August (press night Tuesday 10 May).