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Bean & Bond Extend Macbeth Four Weeks to 1 Mar

Though it received somewhat mixed reviews, Edward Hall's hotly anticipated production of Macbeth, starring British film star Sean Bean in the title role and Samantha Bond as Lady Macbeth, has proved a hit with audiences and is now due to add a further four weeks to its season at the West End's Albery Theatre, subject to contract availability. The production opened on 14 November 2002 (previews from 7 November) and had been booking to 1 February 2003.

The production - which arrived in 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.

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, Barnaby Kay and Mark Bazeley, who has just been nominated for a Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Supporting Actor. Macbeth has also been nominated for Best Shakespeare Production while Hall is up for Best Director.

"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.

- by Terri Paddock

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