Roxana Silbert, previously artistic director of Paines Plough and now an associate director for the RSC, will direct David Greig's Dunisane, beginning performances Feb. 10, 2010, for a run to March 6; and Maria Aberg will direct Dennis Kelly's The Gods Weep, beginning performances March 11, 2010 for a run to April 3. Casting for both plays is still be announced.
In press materials, Dunsinane is described as "a vision of one man's desire to restore peace in a country ravaged by war. Late at night in a foreign land, an English army sweeps through the landscape under cover of darkness and takes the seat of power. Struggling to contain his men and the ambitions of his superiors, the commanding officer attempts to negotiate the unspoken rules of this unfamiliar country. This is Scotland in the eleventh century at the height of the fight for succession of the Scottish throne."
Greig's previous plays for the RSC include The American Pilot and Victoria. His most recent play, Midsummer, was seen at the Edinburgh Festival this summer. Silbert's recent productions include Dennis Kelly's Orphans (also seen at Edinburgh this year, and transferring to London's Soho Theatre), Steve Thompson's Roaring Trade (also at Soho Theatre) and Sebastian Barry's Dallas Sweetman (staged in Canterbury Cathedral).
In press materials, Kelly's play is described as focusing on "the life of a CEO whose global business may have grown to a scale that is uncontainable. Colm has taken a lifetime to build his empire. With brutal rigor he has shaped the world around him in his own image. As time moves on his decision-making abilities increasingly fail him and the world he has created begins to fracture. The power struggle that ensues reveals the corruption and unstoppable forces at work in a world where corporate greed and national security frighteningly overlap."
Kelly's work for the stage includes Orphans (seen at the Traverse Theatre as part of this year's Edinburgh Fetival, before transferring to Soho Theatre), DNA (National Theatre), Taking Care of Baby (Birmingham Rep/Hampstead Theatre), Love and Money (Manchester Royal Exchange and Young Vic), After The End (Bush Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Leicester Haymarket and UK tour), Osama the Hero (Hampstead Theatre) and Debris (BAC, Traverse and Latchmere). Aberg has directed Roy Williams' Days of Significance for the RSC, which embarks on a national tour this autumn following a successful run at the Tricycle Theatre. Her other work includes State of Emergency (Gate Theatre), Crime and Punishment (National Theatre) and Alaska (Royal Court). She was associate director for the RSC's productions of The Winter's Tale and Pericles as part of the RSC's Complete Works Festival.
Public booking for Hampstead Theatre opens Nov. 18 with priority booking for RSC members Oct. 19. To book tickets contact the box office at 020 7722 9301 or visit www.hampsteadtheatre.com.
