Cast: Matthew Kelly in Globe Troilus, Full Phedre

Fresh from appearing in Edward Albee’s modern classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios, Matthew Kelly will delve further back in the classical canon this summer to make his Globe debut in the theatre’s first-ever staging of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida (See News, 19 Nov 2008).
In Matthew Dunster’s production, which runs in rep at the Bankside landmark from 22 July to 20 September 2009 (previews from 12 July), Kelly plays Pandarus. The cast also features Laura Pyper and Paul Stocker in the title roles, as well as Jamie Ballard (as Ulysses), Paul Hunter (Thersites), Trystan Gravelle (Achilles), Ben Bishop, Olivia Chaney, Chris Colquhoun, Matthew Flynn, Richard Hansell, Fraser James, Seamus O’Neill, Ania Sowinski, John Stahl, Jay Taylor, Beru Tessema and Chinna Wodu.

Since cementing a stage comeback playing gentle giant Lennie in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, which won him the 2004 Best Actor Olivier (See News, 23 Feb 2004), Matthew Kelly has appeared frequently on stage in Endgame, Mirandolina and Twelfth Night at regional theatres and, in London, in Victory, Forgotten Voices and Amadeus, as well as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

In other play casting news:

• At the National Theatre, the full cast of artistic director Nicholas Hytner’s production of Greek tragedy Phedre – starring Helen Mirren in the title role, Dominic Cooper as Hippolytus and Margaret Tyzack as Oenone – will comprise: John Shrapnel (Théramène), Stanley Townsend (Theseus), Portia Booroff, Chipo Chung, Alexander D’Andrea, Wendy Morgan, Ruth Negga, Elizabeth Nestor and Tristram Wymark. The production opens in the NT Lyttelton rep on 11 June 2009 (previews from 4 June) and will be broadcast live to more than 100 venues around the world, including 50 cinema screens across the UK – on 25 June as part of the NT Live initiative (See News, 19 May 2009). It also visits Epidaurus, Greece on 10 and 11 July.
• And at Chichester Festival and the Royal Court, Amanda Drew will join Samuel West, Tim Pigott-Smith and Tom Goodman-Hill in the world premiere of Rupert Goold’s Headlong co-production of Lucy Prebble’s latest play, Enron (See News, 3 Apr 2009). Also in the cast are Peter Caulfield and Orion Lee. The “epic tragedy” premieres at Chichester Festival, running from 11 July to 19 August 2009, before transferring to the Royal Court Downstairs from 17 September to 31 October. It’s inspired by the real events surrounding the Texas-headquartered energy company that filed for bankruptcy in 2001.

  ** DON’T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to ENRON at the Royal Court in September – inc EXCLUSIVE post-show Q&A! – priority booking opens to Club members soon! – click here for details on joining the Club!! **