With the announcement of the arrival of his production of Somerset Maugham's The Constant Wife in the West End in April, Edward Hall — who some see as a natural candidate to replace Adrian Noble at the Royal Shakespeare Company — is proving that his recent resignation from the RSC's Edward III is not going to slow down his career.

Hall will direct Maugham's play at the Apollo beginning April 2, starring Jenny Seagrove and Simon Williams and produced by Bill Kenwright. Simon Williams, who is still fondly remembered from the 1970's television series Upstairs Downstairs, has recently been touring in his own play, Nobody's Perfect. Bill Kenwright has a long association with the Apollo, as does Jenny Seagrove, who was seen there in Dead Guilty and, most recently, in The Female Odd Couple.

Despite recent disagreements, Hall continues his connection with the RSC via his production of Rose Rage at the Haymarket, from June 12 to July 21, and his production of Julius Caesar for the RSC continues to run at the Barbican until April 6. Perhaps he will always be partially linked with the RSC in the public mind, since his father, Sir Peter, founded the company in the 1960's.

—By Paul Webb Theatrenow