An impressive cast has been unveiled for esteemed theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn’s King John at the Rose Theatre.

Former artistic director at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre Nunn is returning to Kingston following his successful Wars of the Roses trio last year with a Shakespearean rarity to mark 400 years since the Bard’s death.

It is the penultimate play in his project to direct all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays and runs from May 14 to June 5.

His cast is led by Jamie Ballard in the title role. His long list of credits include many performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company plus television roles including Penny Dreadful and Ripper Street and films such as Suffragette and X & Y.

Howard Charles, who starred in the BBC’s The Musketeers, plays Philip the Bastard while Maggie Steed – whose television work includes Stella, Jam and Jerusalem, Inspector Morse, Lark Rise to Candleford, My Family and Red Dwarf – is Queen Eleanor.

Lisa Dillon, who has starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris O’Dowd and whose credits include Suffragette, Cranford, Midsomer Murders and Lucky Man, plays Constance.

Tickets cost from £8. Go to rosetheatrekingston.org

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