RSC announce new London season for 2016/17

The Royal Shakespeare Company have today announced a new season of London productions that run at two West End locations throughout Autumn/Winter 2016 and 2017.

The Alchemist by Ben Johnson and Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe will transfer from the Swan Theatre to the Barbican from 2 September to 1 October 2016, with official openings on 13 and 14 October 2016.

The productions will play in repertoire with the same cast directed by Polly Findlay and Maria Aberg respectively.

This will be followed by William Shakespeare's Cymbeline directed by Melly Still and King Lear directed by Gregory Doran, which will also run in rep from 31 October to 23 December 2016, with official openings on 3 and 15 November respectively.

The runs at the Barbican will be followed by a transfer of the RSC and Chichester Festival Theatre productions of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost and Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, which also run in rep from 9 December to 18 March 2016, with official openings on 17 December 2016.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, this 'Lost and Won' double bill will feature Edward Bennett reprising his roles as Berowne and Benedick.

RSC Executive Director Catherine Mallyon said of the news:

"I am thrilled that we are able to share so much of our work with audiences in London this year, with a total of twelve productions playing at the Barbican and the West End."

The announcement means six other RSC productions will play in London during the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare's death, including two shows from the Company's current Swan Theatre repertoire, alongside the RSC's long-running production of Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre.

Tickets for all productions will go on general sale on 25 April 2016.