According to a report in London's Daily Mail, the National hopes to open it in the spring season of 2012, so that it can be part of the World Shakespeare Festival, being planned by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of the Olympics cultural program. Beale and Mendes have a long association together, last collaborating on Mendes' inaugural Bridge Project season of The Cherry Orchard and The Winter's Tale that played at BAM and the Old Vic in 2009. They last worked at the National Theatre together on a 1998 production of Othello, in which Beale played Iago.
Beale is currently appearing at the National in London Assurance (running in rep through June 29), and will next appear in the West End in a new production of Ira Levin's Deathtrap — co-starring Jonathan Groff — that will begin performances at the Noel Coward Theatre Aug. 21, prior to an official opening Sept. 7.
