The actor has discussed the probability in an interview with The Guardian newspaper. Russell Beale has been a busy stage animal over the past year. He played Macbeth at the Almeida, Cassius for a Barbican Theatre production that toured Europe, and he is currently rehearsing Christopher Hampton’s The Philanthropist for the Donmar Warehouse, which opens Sept. 8. Talking about his future plans, he reveals that he and director Sam Mendes are planning to work together again — the pair collaborated several times, including an RSC Tempest and Mendes’ swan-song double-bill as Donmar chief (Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night, both of which transferred to BAM in New York). He confirms long-standing rumors of the Galileo project by saying, “I hope to do Galileo next year.” Other stated ambitions include working more in experimental and physical theatre, and perhaps directing operas (Russell Beale is a trained tenor and won a music scholarship to Cambridge).
Brecht’s Galileo has traditionally been a powerhouse vehicle for star actors. Broadway stars to have tackled it include Charles Laughton and Anthony Quayle, while West Enders include Michael Gambon and Richard Griffiths.