Broadway World, 22 October 2015
By BWW News Desk
Thanks, Ngoc

BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the rehearsal images for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's inaugural productions 'Harlequinade/All On Her Own' and 'The Winter's Tale', which are released today. The Terence Rattigan double-bill 'Harlequinade/All On Her Own' will play in repertory alongside 'The Winter's Tale' from 17 October 2015 until 16 January 2016. Press performances will be held on Saturday 7 November at 2 pm and 8 pm.

In the rarely seen comic gem 'Harlequinade', which stars Kenneth Branagh and Zoë Wanamaker, a classical theatre company attempts to produce 'The Winter's Tale' and 'Romeo and Juliet', while the intrigues and dalliances of the company members are accidently revealed with increasingly chaotic and hysterical consequences. Kenneth Branagh will play Harlequinade's actor-manager Arthur Gosport in addition to co-directing the production with Rob Ashford.

In addition to playing Dame Maud in 'Harlequinade', Zoë Wanamaker will also perform Rattigan's dramatic monologue 'All On Her Own', which has never before played in the West End. In this brief but powerfully atmospheric play, which will be staged every evening prior to 'Harlequinade', a woman with a secret, alone at midnight in London has a burden to share that is at times both heart-breaking and sinister. Zoë Wanamaker will not appear in 'The Winter's Tale'.

The full cast for 'Harlequinade' includes: Jaygann Ayeh (Second Halberdier), Tom Bateman (Jack Wakefield), Jessie Buckley(Muriel Palmer), Vera Chok (Miss Fishlock), Jack Colgrave Hirst (Tom Palmer), John Dagleish (Policeman), Hadley Fraser(First Halberdier), Ansu Kabia (Johnny), Stuart Neal (Fred Ingram), Zoë Rainey (Wardrobe Mistress), Miranda Raison (Edna Selby), Michael Rouse (Rehearsal Pianist), John Shrapnel (George Chudleigh), Kathryn Wilder (Joyce Langland) and Jimmy Yuill (Mr Burton).

'The Winter's Tale', Shakespeare's timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption, is reimagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh following their triumphant staging of 'Macbeth' in Manchester and Manhattan. Judi Dench will play Paulina opposite Kenneth Branagh as Leontes. Judi Dench will not be appearing in 'Harlequinade/All On Her Own'.

The full cast for 'The Winter's Tale' includes: Pierre Atri (Mamillius), Jaygann Ayeh (Archidamus & The Old Shepherd's Servant), Tom Bateman (Florizel), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Vera Chok (Dorcas & First Lady), Jack Colgrave Hirst (Clown), John Dagleish (Autolycus), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Adam Garcia (Amadis), Rudi Goodman (Mamillius), Matthew Hawksley (Aegeum), Taylor James (Capnio), Pip Jordan (Shepherdess), Ansu Kabia (Cleomenes), Stuart Neal (Dion), Michael Pennington (Antigonus), Zoë Rainey (Emilia), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Michael Rouse (Gaoler & Mariner), John Shrapnel (Camillo), Kathryn Wilder (Mopsa) and Jimmy Yuill (The Shepherd).

'The Winter's Tale', 'Harlequinade/All On Her Own', 'Red Velvet', 'The Painkiller', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'The Entertainer' make up the inaugural seven-play season of work for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company.

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, will broadcast three productions of its year-long Plays at the Garrick season live to cinemas worldwide. The first Branagh Theatre Live production will be 'The Winter's Tale' at 19:00 on Thursday 26 November 2015.

Broadcast dates for 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'The Entertainer' will be announced on the day of the preceding production's broadcast. Participating cinemas can be found at branaghtheatrelive.com.