The Royal Shakespeare Company announce full casting for the upcoming production of Cymbeline, directed by RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran, which will run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Saturday 22 April to Saturday 27 May.

This production of Cymbeline marks Gregory’s 50th show that he has directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and will be his last as RSC Artistic Director Emeritus. Cymbeline is also the last play in Shakespeare’s First Folio, which this year celebrates 400 years since it was first published.

Reflecting on his time as the Artistic Director of the RSC, Doran is also releasing a memoir charting his personal and professional journey. My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey Through the First Folio (Methuen Drama) presents a detailed account of Doran’s experiences either directing or producing each of Shakespeare's plays in the First Folio and is publishing on 20 April.

Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director Emeritus, said: “2023 is the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Without the Folio we would not have half of Shakespeare’s plays today, including many of his most famous and loved works. This year we are doing five of them. We opened the year with the first play to appear in that miraculous book, The Tempest, and I am directing the last one in it, Cymbeline.

"It happens to be my 50th production of the RSC, and I am delighted to be working on it with some long time collaborators: designer Stephen Brimson-Lewis, composer Paul Englishby, and movement director Síân Williams, as well as some familiar faces in the cast, many of whom I have had the privilege of working with on previous productions.

"I have often wondered why Cymbeline is the last play in the Folio. It is listed under the tragedies, but it could just as easily have been placed in the comedies or even the histories as it is set Ancient Britain at the time of the Romans. Though its thrilling story threatens to end in tragedy, its astonishing denouement is full of joy. I think the compilers of the Folio put Cymbeline at the end of the book because it defies categories and won’t be pinned down- that is what makes it so exciting.

"I am honoured to be opening Cymbeline as this year’s birthday play on Shakespeare’s birthday weekend, which coincides with the publication of a book. My Shakespeare: a director’s journey through the First Folio concludes with an epilogue as I set out on rehearsals for Cymbeline. When we open, I shall be able to say I have worked on every single play in that amazing life manual, Shakespeare’s First Folio.”

The company includes; Peter De Jersey as Cymbeline. Screen credits include Netflix’s The Sandman, Amazon Prime’s Wheel of Time, BBC One’s Line of Duty and ITV’s Broadchurch.

Alexandra Gilbreath will play The Queen. Alexandra is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, where her credits include; The Provoked Wife, The Rover, Shakespeare Live!, A Midsummer Night’s Dreaming, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night for which she received an Olivier award nomination-for Best Supporting Actress, Merry Wives – The Musical, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tamer Tamed, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet and more.

Conor Glean will play Cloten. Conor was last seen at the RSC in Gregory Doran’s production of Richard III. Previous RSC credits include Henry VI War of the Roses and Rebellion. Other theatre credits include While the Sun Shines at the Orange Tree Theatre, After Life at the National Theatre and One Night in Miami at Nottingham Playhouse. Screen credits include ITV’s Coronation Street.

Scott Gutteridge will make his RSC debut as Guiderius. Scott’s previous theatre credits include Under Milk Wood at the National Theatre and Curtain Up at Theatr Clwyd. Screen credits include Kenneth Branagh’s feature length film Belfast.

Mark Hadfield will play Pisanio. Mark’s RSC credits include Henry VI: Open Rehearsal Project, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Talk of the City, The Seagull, Twelfth Night, The Canterbury Tales, Tamburlaine, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Amber James will play Imogen. Amber’s previous RSC credits include Troilus and Cressida, Antony and Cleopatra, Dido, Queen of Carthage and Titus Andronicus. Other theatre credits include Wendy and Peter Pan at Leeds Playhouse, Snowflake at the Kiln Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Vassa at the Almeida, A Streetcar Named Desire for English Touring Theatre. Screen credits include Dodger, Vera, Ransom and Doc Martin.

Christian Patterson will play Belarius. Previous RSC credits include The Secret Garden.

Ed Sayer makes his RSC debut as Posthumus. Ed’s previous theatre credits include Uncle Vanya at Theatre de Fontainebleau, Richard III and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Rose, York, Dear Brutus at Southwark Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale for Cheek by Jowl, Suppliant Women for Actors Touring Company and First Light at Chichester Festival Theatre. Screen credits include a recurring role in Netflix’s The Crown.

Daf Thomas will make his RSC debut as Arviragus. Previous theatre credits include Sid in For Once (Theatre Clwyd).

Jamie Wilkes will play Iachimo. Screen credits include; ITV’s Finding Alice, Vanity Fair and Mr Selfridge, BBC Homefront and His Dark Materials, Chanel 4’s Catch 22 and Electric Dreams: Human Is.

Cymbeline shows at Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from Saturday 22 April – Saturday 27 May. Tickets are available at rsc.org.uk