Elizabeth McGovern
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Cast: McGovern Joins Lindsay’s Aristo; Royal Court

American screen star Elizabeth McGovern (pictured) will play Jackie Kennedy, widow of president John F Kennedy and lover of Robert Lindsay’s Aristotle Onassis in the world premiere of Bent author Martin Sherman’s new play about the late Greek tycoon (See News, 21 Feb 2008). As one of the final productions in this summer’s Chichester Festival Theatre season, Aristo runs at CFT’s Minerva Theatre from 25 September to 11 October 2008 (previews from 11 September).

The play is based on the last years in the life of Onassis, including his complex connections and interwoven relationships with Kennedy, singer Maria Callas (played by Diana Quick) and his son Alexandros (Joe Marsh). The cast also includes Denise Black, Julius D’Silva, Ben Grove, John Hodgkinson, Robin Soans and June Watson.

McGovern, who has lived in London for many years, is best known for her many film credits including The House of Mirth, Wings of a Dove, The Handmaid's Tale, Racing with the Moon, Once upon a Time in America and Ragtime. Her UK stage credits include Hurlyburly, Three Days of Rain, Dinner With Friends and, most recently, Phyllis Nagy’s adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, presented at Chichester in 2005.

Aristo is directed by Shared Experience joint artistic director Nancy Meckler and designed by Katrina Lindsay, with lighting by Paul Pyant and music and sound by Ilona Sekacz.

In other play casting news:

Finally, Juliet Rylance, the daughter of actor and former Shakespeare’s Globe artistic director Mark Rylance, is joined in the cast of Romeo and Juliet at London’s historic Middle Temple Hall by Santiago Cabrera (from US TV’s Heroes) as her titular lover Romeo, Ann Mitchell as the Nurse, Nicolas Tennant as the Friar and acclaimed dancer Will Kemp (Equus) as Mercutio. Tamara Harvey directs the production for Rylance’s Theatre of Memory company. It runs from 26 August to 13 September (previews from 20 August) as part of a year-long festival celebrating the 400th anniversary of the venue’s Royal Charter (See News, 8 Jan 2008).

- by Terri Paddock

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