Talking Shakespeare with Olivier award-winning actor Simon Russell Beale

Was Shakespeare an instinctive ‘conservative’ or, rather, gently subversive? How collaborative was he? Did he add a line to Hamlet in order to accommodate his ageing and increasingly chubby principal actor Richard Burbage? Did he suffer from insomnia and experience sexual jealousy?

In An Evening With Simon Russell Beale at York Theatre Royal on 10 September the Olivier Award-winning actor – in conversation with a special guest – will share what it’s like to approach and live with some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.

Drawing on the range of his experiences as a man who has played many parts – from his early days as Desdemona in a school production of Othello to the title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as his on-screen highlights in films such as The Death of Stalin – Simon will share stories about where he finds his inspiration and divulges some surprising sources.

He’ll also share funny and touching anecdotes from his friends, including Sam Mendes, Nick Hytner, Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall.

He’s currently finding a whole new army of online followers with his performance as Ser Simon Strong in the streaming series House of the Dragon. He was also in the recent ITV drama Is Douglas Cancelled? and has been filming the third Downton Abbey movie.

SIMON RUSSELL BEALE was educated at St Pauls Cathedral Choir School and Clifton College in Bristol. After graduating with a first in English at Cambridge University he began training as an opera singer before he turned to acting. He started his theatrical career at The Royal Court, and went on to the Royal Shakespeare Company for eight years. Since then, he has spent 20 years at The National Theatre. Not only has Russell Beale performed all over the world, he has also appeared in award winning TV and film. Russell Beale has presented many BBC programmes about classical music. In 2019 he was appointed a Knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the Arts. His numerous theatre credits include; Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, The Lehman Trilogy, King Lear, Collaborators, Temple, Privates on Parade, Macbeth and Jumpers, to name but a few. On screen, his credits include House of the Dragon, Mary & George, Vanity Fair; Penny Dreadful; The Death of Stalin; and My Cousin Rachel.

Tickets for An Evening With Simon Russell Beale at York Theatre Royal on September 10, 7.30pm are onsale now.

Box office 01904 623568 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

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