Mary Stuart: additional principle casting announced

Additional casting has been announced for the Donmar Warehouse production of Mary Stuart, Friedrich Schiller�s classic play in a new version by Peter Oswald, which opens 19 Apr 2009 at the Broadhurst Theatre, following previews from 30 Mar, for a limited 20 week engagement.

As previously announced, the production stars its acclaimed original London leads Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter, directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

Joining McTeer as 'Mary Queen of Scots' and Walter as 'Elizabeth I,' will be Michael Countryman as 'Sir Amias Paulet,' John Benjamin Hickey as 'Robert Dudley/Earl of Leicester,' Michael Rudko as 'Count Aubespine/Melvil,' Robert Stanton as 'William Davison,' Maria Tucci as 'Hanna Kennedy,' Chandler Williams as 'Mortimer,' Nicholas Woodeson as 'William Cecil/Lord Burleigh,' and Brian Murray as 'George Talbot/Earl of Shrewsbury.'

The first Broadway production of Mary Stuart in almost 40 years will be produced by Arielle Tepper Madover, Debra Black, Barbara Whitman, David Binder, Neal Street Productions and Matthew Byam Shaw.

For a Queen to stand, a Queen must fall. Written by Friedrich Schiller in 1800, Mary Stuart is an account of the extraordinary relationship between England�s Elizabeth I (Harriet Walter) and her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (Janet McTeer), Elizabeth�s rival to the throne.

The acclaimed production played at London's Donmar Warehouse from 20 Jul - 3 Sep 2005, and then transferred to London's Apollo Theatre where it played from 7 Oct 2005 - 14 Jan 2006.

The drama opened to excellent reviews in the London press: "Fine production...Terrific acting, terrific theatre, terrific Schiller." (Times); "Exhilarating production" (Guarding); "In Phyllida Lloyd's magnificent new revival, is to recognise that Schiller's figments of fancy are underpinned by a sure grasp of deep-running political processes." (Daily Telegraph) and " In every way, it is a engrossing evening." (The Stage).

Ben Brantley, of the New York Times, hailed this production of Mary Stuart as �Ripping. A stage burner of a revival. Mary Stuart is portrayed to a red-blooded fare-thee-well by Janet McTeer. Queen Elizabeth I is portrayed with glittering iciness by Harriet Walter. Mary Stuart has never seemed more pertinent than it does in this vivid incarnation, staged by Phyllida Lloyd.�

This will be the second revival of Schiller's Mary Stuart on Broadway. The play first bowed on Broadway in 1900. It had it's first revival in 1971 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, directed by Jules Irving, and starred Salome Jens as 'Mary Stuart' and 'Nancy Marchand ' as 'Queen Elizabeth'.

Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart) last appeared on Broadway when she made her Broadway debut in 'A Doll's House' (1997 revival) playing the role of 'Nora Helmer,' for which she was awarded the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play - she won the 1997 Olivier Award for her performance in the production's London run. Her other London credits include: 'Duchess of Malfi' (National Theatre), 'God of Carnage,' 'Simpatico' (Royal Court) and 'Taming of the Shrew' (Globe).

Harriet Walter (Elizabeth I) won the the 2005 Evening Standard Award for Best Actress for her performance as Elizabeth in Mary Stuart. Harriet last appeared on Broadway when she made her Broadway debut in 'All's Well that Ends Well' (1983). Her London credits include: 'Antony and Cleopatra,' 'The Children's Hour' (National Theatre), 'Dinner,' 'Life x 3, 'Much Ado About Nothing,' 'Old Times' and 'The Royal Family.'

Michael Countryman's (Sir Amias Paulet) Broadway credits include 'Night Must Fall' (Hubert Laurie: 1999 revival), 'Holiday' (Nick Potter: 1995 revival), 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor' (Val - Replacement: 1993) and 'Face Value' (Andrew Simpson: 1993). His recent Off-Broadway credits include 'Trumpery' (Atlantic Theater), 'The Butcher Of Baraboo' (Second Stage Theatre ) and 'Mary Rose' (Vineyard).

John Benjamin Hickey (Robert Dudley/Earl of Leicester) has appeared on Broadway in 'The Crucible' (Reverend John Hale: 2002 revival), 'Cabaret' (Clifford Bradshaw: 1998 revival) and 'Love! Valour! Compassion!' (Arthur Pape: 1995). Recent off-Broadway credits include: 'God's Heart' (Lincoln Center), 'Blue Window' (MTC) and 'On the Bum' (Playwrights Horizons).

Michael Rudko's (Count Aubespine/Melvil) Broadway credits include 'Gore Vidal's The Best Man' (multiple roles: 2000 revival), 'Timon of Athens' (multiple roles: 1993) and 'Serious Money' (multiple roles: 1988). He last appeared Off-Broadway in'King Lear' (Public). In London he has alternated lead roles with Mark Rylance in Matthew Warchus' 'True West' (Donmar Warehouse), and as starred in all-male productions of 'Antony and Cleopatra' and 'Julius Caesar' (Shakespeare�s Globe).

Robert Stanton's (William Davison) Broadway credits include Stoppard's trilogy 'The Coast of Utopia' (Stepan Shevyrev - Part 1: 2006; Franz Otto - Part 2: 2006; Ernest Jones - Part 3: 2007;) and 'A Small Family Business' (Roy Ruston: 1992). Off-Broadway credits include 'The Right Kind of People' (Primary Stages), 'The Bald Soprano and The Lesson' (Atlantic) and 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' (National Actors).

Maria Tucci (Hanna Kennedy) was nominated for a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as 'Rosa Delle Rose' in 'The Rose Tattoo' (1966 revival). This will be her first appearance on Broadway since 1988 when she played 'Hannah Jelkes' in 'The Night of the Iguana' (1988 revival). Her many off-Broadway credits include 'Conversations in Tusculum' (Public), 'Richard III' (Classic Stage) and 'The Stendhal Syndrome' (Primary Stages).

Chandler Williams (Mortimer) made his Broadway debut in 'Translations' (Lieutenant Yolland: 2007 revival). Off-Broadway credits include 'Crimes of the Heart' (Roundabout), 'The Field' (Irish Repertory) and 'Rope' (Zipper).

Nicholas Woodeson's (William Cecil, Lord Burleigh) Broadway credits include 'Man and Superman' (Henry Straker: 1978 revival), 'Piaf' (multiple roles: 1981), 'Good' (multiple roles: 1982), 'An Inspector Calls' (Inspector Goole - Replacement: 1994 revival) and 'Jumpers' (Bones: 2004 revival). Off-Broadway credits include 'House,' 'Garden,' and 'The Art of Success' all for MTC. Woodeson played the role of 'Posca' in the recent HBO TV series 'Rome.'

Brian Murray (George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury) has been nominated for three Tony Awards for his appearances in 'The Crucible' (Deputy-Governor Danforth: 2002 revival), 'The Little Foxes' (Benjamin Hubbard: 1997 revival) and 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' (Rosencrantz: 1967). Off-Broadway he has won OBIE's for his roles in 'The Play About the Baby' (Century Center) and 'Ashes' (Public).

Phyllida Lloyd is the director of the hit musical 'Mamma Mia!', her London credits include: 'Boston Marriage' (Donmar Warehouse), 'The Duchess of Malfi' (National Theatre), 'Hysteria,' 'Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' (National Theatre), 'The Threepenny Opera' (Donmar Warehouse) and 'Way of the World' (National Theatre).

German playwright Friedrich Schiller (1759�1805) began writing as a means of escape during his enforced military service. After penning his first play, 'The Robbers' (1782), his work was discovered by his superiors and he was forbidden to write. He deserted and lived under an assumed name, working as a court playwright and stage manager. His other plays included 'Intrigue and Love' (1784), 'Don Carlos' (1787), 'Wallenstein�s Camp' (1798), 'The Piccolomini' (1799), 'Wallenstein�s Death' (1799), 'Mary Stuart' (1800), 'Maid of Orleans' (1801) and 'William Tell' (1804). He formed a close friendship with Goethe, and their collaboration made the Weimar Theatre one of the most prestigious in Germany. He died in 1805 of tuberculosis.

Peter Oswald's (New Version) original work includes 'The Swansong of Ivanhoe Wasteway,' 'Allbright,' 'Valdorama,' 'Augustine�s Oak' and 'The Golden Ass'; translations include Schiller�s 'Don Carlos,' Sophocles� 'Oedipus Tyrannos', Racine�s 'Phaedra,' 'Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards,' Lorca�s 'Dona Rosita The Spinster' and a stage adaptation of the Sanskrit epic 'The Ramayana.'