We bring good news: this summer’s much touted West End adaptation of Shakespeare In Love, opening at London's Noel Coward Theatre from July 2, finally has a lead.
Last played by Joseph Fiennes in the 1998’s Oscar winning classic, the love-struck bard of the latest incarnation will be brought to life by upcoming British stage star Tom Bateman.
No stranger to Shakespeare's work having already played Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham’s Theatre, the actor looks set to be a perfect fit for the role which sees the dramatist suffering from writer's block until he meets his muse, Viola Lesseps, leading him to pen his finest work of all time.
Lesseps (a role that gave Gwyneth Paltrow an Academy Award of her own) will be taken on by Lucy Briggs-Owen, a regular with the RSC - another hint that this won’t be your typical theatrical Hollywood rehash, but rather a faithful attempt to bring the critically acclaimed work to its more natural home.
We expect big things.
(Images: AllStar)
