Kenneth Branagh to direct and star in King Lear in the West End

Kenneth Branagh is to direct and star in a new West End production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Fiery Angel and The Shed will present Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s production at Wyndham’s Theatre for 50 performances only from 21 October 2023.

Branagh will be joined on the cast by Mara Allen as Curan (Macbeth The Globe, The Night Watch The Original Theatre Company), Deborah Alli as Goneril (Best of Enemies West End, School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play Lyric Hammersmith), Raymond Anum as Burgundy (The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew The Globe), Melanie-Joyce Bermudez as Regan (RADA graduate 2023, professional debut), Doug Colling as Edgar (Dear Evan Hansen West End, This England Sky), Dylan Corbett-Bader as France (The Tattooist of Auschwitz Sky, We Were The Lucky Ones Hulu), Eleanor de Rohan as Kent (Hamlet KBTC RADA, Anatomy of A Scandal Netflix), Chloe Fenwick-Brown as Oswald (professional debut), Joseph Kloska as Gloucester (The Winter’s Tale and Imperium RSC, Richard III Rose Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse), Corey Mylchreest as Edmund (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story and The Sandman Netflix), Hughie O’Donnell as Cornwall (Into The Woods The Cockpit,), Caleb Obediah as Cornwall (Bridgerton Netflix, The Living Newspaper The Royal Court) and Jessica Revell as Cordelia / The Fool (RADA graduate 2023, Tracy Beaker Returns, The Dumping Ground BBC).

The creative team is made up of Jon Bausor (Set and Costume Designer), Lucy Skilbeck (Associate Director), Nina Dunn (Projection Designer), Paul Keogan (Lighting Designer), Ben and Max Ringham (Sound Designer and Composer), Aletta Collins (Choreographer), Lucy Bevan CDG and Emily Brockmann (Casting Directors), Bret Yount (Fight Director), Issy Snape and Michael Rouse (Assistant Directors) and Jim Leaver (Production Manager).

The production is presented in association with RADA. Niamh Dowling, Principal of RADA said: “King Lear is an exceptional opportunity for RADA graduates, many of whom graduated very recently, to take part in a production of one of Shakespeare’s most impactful plays. We are really thrilled for this cast, which includes a number of graduates making their West End debuts.”

For more information and tickets, visit www.kinglearbranagh.com

Following its West End run, the production will transfer to The Shed’s Griffin Theater in New York for autumn 2024.