Damian Lewis in Band of Brothers
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Lewis & McCrory Try on Almeida's Five Gold Rings

Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory will head a cast of five in the Almeida's Christmas production, Five Gold Rings (See News, 9 Dec 2002). The new play, by Joanna Laurens, will be directed by Almeida artistic director Michael Attenborough, and runs at the north London theatre from 17 December 2003 to 17 January 2004 (previewing from 11 December).

Though now best known for screen roles such as Band of Brothers, Dreamcatcher, Jeffrey Archer: The Truth, Hearts and Bones and The Forsyte Saga, Lewis (pictured) started his career in the theatre, where his earlier credits included the title role in Hamlet directed by Tim Piggot Smith, Cymbeline and Much Ado About Nothing at the RSC, Into the Woods at the Donmar and School for Wives at the Almeida.

An acclaimed stage actress, McCrory recently starred, alongside Simon Russell Beale and Emily Watson, in Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya, Sam Mendes' final Donmar Warehouse productions, which transferred to New York earlier this year.

McCrory's many other stage credits include Blood Wedding Fuenieovejuna, The Seagull, Trelawney of the Wells (National), How I Learned to Drive, In a Little World of Our Own (Donmar) and Platonov (Almeida). On screen, she's been seen in films like The Count of Monte Cristo and Charlotte Gray and television series' including North Square and Anna Karenina.

In Five Gold Rings, Henry's two sons and their wives come home for Christmas. But the conflicting needs and attitudes of the family make for an explosive Yule. Laurens' first play The Three Birds was staged at the Gate Theatre in 2000 and won both Critics' Circle and Time Out awards.

Further casting for Five Gold Rings has yet to be announced.

- by Hannah Kennedy

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