Theatre News

Plays Cast: Kissoon in Godot, Soho Slumber, Headlong Romeo

| London's West End |

4 January 2012

Casting has been announced for West Yorkshire Playhouse and Talawa’s forthcoming all-black staging of Samuel Beckett’s 20th century classic Waiting for Godot.

The production, which runs from 3 to 25 February, will be the last of Ian Brown’s decade-long tenure as artistic director of the Leeds venue.

Jeffery Kissoon and Patrick Robinson take the roles of Vladimir and Estragon – two men waiting in vain for the elusive Godot – with Fisayo Akinada, Guy Burgess and Cornell S John completing the cast.

Kissoon recently starred opposite Kim Cattrall in Antony and Cleopatra (Liverpool Everyman) and will play Caesar in the RSC’s all-black production of Julius Ceasar later this year, while Robinson arrives fresh from the West End run of War Horse.

Waiting for Godot is the last production in Talawa’s 25th anniversary programme and also marks its final production under the leadership of outgoing artistic director Patricia Cumper.

After its run in Leeds, Waiting for Godot will tour to The Albany in London (6-10 March), Birmingham Rep (13-17 March), Theatre Royal Winchester (27-31 March) and the New Wolsey, Ipswich (3-7 April).

In other casting news:

Alexandra Gilbreath and Amy Cudden will star in Shallow Slumber, which opens later this month at the Soho Theatre Upstairs. The production, which centres on the relationship between a social worker and a young mother, is directed by Mary Nighy (daughter of actor Bill) and runs from 24 January to 18 February 2012.

Full casting has been announced for the forthcoming touring production of Romeo and Juliet, produced by Headlong Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse and the Nuffield Southampton in association with Hull Truck Theatre. Opening at the Nuffield from 2-18 February, Robert Icke directs a cast led by Daniel Boyd and Catrin Stewart, alongside Keith Bartlett, Simon Coates, Caroline Faber, Stephen Fewell, Daniel Hill, Danny Kirrane, Tunji Lucas, Okezie Morro, Tom Mothersdale, Matthew Spencer and Brigid Zengeni.