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Sean Bean Takes Title in West End Macbeth Tonight

Edward Hall's hotly anticipated production of Macbeth, starring British film star Sean Bean in the title role and Samantha Bond as Lady Macbeth, opens tonight, 14 November 2002 (previews from 7 November), at the West End's Albery Theatre.

The production - which comes to the West End following regional dates at Milton Keynes and Richmond - marks Bean's first stage appearance in 12 years. Bean is best known internationally for his many big screen credits, including Patriot Games, Golden Eye, Ronin and now, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In the UK, he's also a familiar television face from the likes of Bravo Two Zero, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Extremely Dangerous and the many Sharpe series.

But it was on stage that Bean made his professional debut, playing Tybalt in a Glasgow Citizens' production of Romeo and Juliet, after graduating from RADA. His other theatre credits have included Fair Maid of the West, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Last Days of Mankind, Deathwatch and Killing the Cat.

Like Bean, Samantha Bond is also a James Bond veteran - the pair have previously appeared together on screen in 1995's Golden Eye in which Bean played baddie Alec Trevelyan and Ms Bond appeared in her recurring role as 007's secretary Miss Moneypenny. Bond is familiar to theatre audiences for playing the title role, opposite Dame Judi Dench, in David Hare's Amy's View at the National, in the West End and on Broadway. Her other recent stage credits include The Vagina Monologues, Dinner with Friends and The Memory of Water.

Bean and Bond are joined in the cast by Julian Glover, Mark Bazeley, Barnaby Kay, Nicholas Asbury, David Beames, Finn Caldwell, Edward Clayton, Jayne McKenna, Alexandra Moen, Edmund Moriarty, Christopher Obi, Christian Patterson, Ian Pirie, Adrian Schiller, Claire Swinburne and Tam Williams.

Macbeth also marks the third major West End production this year for director Edward Hall, son of Peter - following The Constant Wife and Rose Rage. "The Scottish Play" is designed by Michael Pavelka, with lighting by Ben Ormerod, sound by Matt McKenzie, fight direction by Terry King and movement by Ian Spink. Its limited season continues until 1 February 2003.

- by Terri Paddock

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