Olivier Award Nominee Paul Chahidi Will Recreate His Performances in Twelfth Night and Richard III For Broadway

New York audiences will have the opportunity to see Olivier Award nominee Paul Chahidi’s show-stealing performance as wicked maid Maria in the Broadway production of Twelfth Night, as well as his Hastings and Tyrell in Richard III. Chahidi joins previously announced stars Mark Rylance, Stephen Fry and Samuel Barnett in the all-male repertory productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III.  Directed by Tim Carroll, the 16-week limited engagement begins previews on October 15 and opens on November 10 at the Belasco Theatre.

Joining Chahidi, Rylance, Fry and Barnett will be many members of the acclaimed Shakespeare’s Globe and West End casts, including Liam Brennan (Orsino in Twelfth Night and Clarence and Lord Mayor in Richard III), John Paul Connolly (Antonio in Twelfth Night and 1st Murderer, Cardinal, Ratcliff and Halberdier in Richard III), Peter Hamilton Dyer (Feste in Twelfth Night and Brakenbury and Catesby in Richard III), Colin Hurley (Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night and King Edward IV and Stanley in Richard III) and Jethro Skinner (Fabian in Twelfth Night and 2nd Murderer, Messenger and Halberdier in Richard III).

Angus Wright joins the Broadway company, returning to the role of Sir Andrew Aguecheek which he played in Shakespeare’s Globe’s earlier staging of Twelfth Night and as Duke of Buckingham in Richard III. Terry McGinity, another veteran of Shakespeare’s Globe’s earlier staging of Twelfth Night, also joins the Broadway company as the Sea Captain and Priest in Twelfth Night and Scrivener, Rivers and Blunt in Richard III. Complete casting to be announced.

This pair of authentic productions are presented with an acclaimed all-male company playing both male and female roles, as the plays were originally staged in Shakespeare’s day. The productions also include seven musicians playing traditional Elizabethan instruments and are lit almost exclusively by the glow of 100 on-stage candles.

Shakespeare’s Richard III is the story of Richard Duke of Gloucester, who will stop at nothing to become the King of England. Twelfth Night centers on Viola, a girl who passes herself off as a page to get work after being shipwrecked in the kingdom of Illyria. Lady Olivia falls in love with Viola, not knowing that she is a woman in disguise.

Twelfth Night and Richard III will mark the Broadway debut for London’s world-famous Shakespeare’s Globe. Performed in repertory, with six performances of Twelfth Night and two performances of Richard III a week (post opening), with the opportunity to see the two productions in one day on Wednesdays and Saturdays.