Theatre News

Cast of 60 announced for epic Iliad reading

The event takes place at the British Museum and Almeida on Friday

| London | Off-West End |

13 August 2015

Ben Whishaw, pictured performing in *Bakkhai*, is among those taking part
© Marc Brenner

A star-filled company of more than 60 will perform Homer's The Iliad on Friday (14 August) as part of the Almeida Greeks festival.

The marathon reading will begin at the British Museum at 9am tomorrow, where access is free, and culminate on the stage of the Almeida from 8pm.

Directed by Rupert Goold and Robert Icke, the event will be live streamed on the Almeida website.

The cast will include Katie Brayben, Simon Callow, Bertie Carvel, Brian Cox, Deborah Findlay, Mark Gatiss, Rory Kinnear, Tim Piggott-Smith, Lesley Manville, Hattie Morahan, Jenna Russell, Simon Russell Beale, John Simm, Jonathan Slinger, Samuel West, Ben Whishaw and Lia Williams.

Also performing throughout the day will be:

Nikki Amuka-Bird, Adjoa Andoh, Pippa Benett-Warner, Lorna Brown, Oliver Chris, Simon Coates, Sinead Cusack, Joe Dixon, Monica Dolan, Amanda Drew, Noma Dumezweni, Tim Dutton, Lisa Dwan, Caroline Faber, Will Featherstone, Stephen Fewell, Susannah Fielding, Annie Firbank, Kate Fleetwood, Barbara Flynn, Naomi Frederick, Mariah Gale, Julian Glover, Simon Goldhill, Adrian der Gregorian, Scott Handy, Janine Harouni, Ian Hart, Kevin Harvey, John Heffernan, Joshua Higgott, William Houston, Eleanor Matsuura, Ian McDiarmid, Tobias Menzies, Jonjo O'Neill, Ben Porter, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Paul Ready, Michael Shaeffer, Annabel Scholey, Sharon Small, Matthew Spencer, Gavin Spokes, Tafline Steen, Janet Suzman, Luke Thompson, Angus Wright and Hara Yannas.

The Almeida Greeks festival continues until October alongside the main stage productions of Bakkhai and Medea.