Latest news with #TheDayOfTheJackal
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut
OUTLANDER star Sam Heughan is to play Macbeth in his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of famous playwright William Shakespeare. In the RSC's latest version of Macbeth, Scottish actor Heughan, 45, known for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in romance drama Outlander, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. READ MORE: How Edinburgh became a capital truly fit for a king Heughan said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character who, consumed by greed and power, murders the king to take the Scottish throne for himself. The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Elsewhere, four of Shakespeare's most famous characters have their stories revisited across two performances, also being staged at The Other Place, from January 2026. The first performance in All Is But Fantasy explores the story of Lady Macbeth, who is consumed by guilt after plotting to murder King Duncan, and Emilia, a character in tragedy play, Othello. The second performance looks at the story of Juliet, from tragic romance story Romeo And Juliet, and Richard III, who uses manipulation to become king in the eponymous play. READ MORE: Edinburgh Fringe programme launches with 3350 shows across 265 venues Olivier award-winning actor Adrian Lester will play the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac in a new version of Edmond Rostand's play about the novelist and playwright, showing at the Swan Theatre from September 27 to November 15. Over at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch will star as Henry V in a play running from March 14 to April 25 2026. Other highlights include an 80-minute staging of King Lear and a two-part adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga, both playing at the Swan Theatre later in the year, with the former also going on tour. The RSC is also staging plays in the West End and recently announced the UK premiere of Liz Duffy Adams's Born With Teeth, which will play at Wyndham's Theatre, previewing on August 13 with a final performance on November 1. The production follows rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe, played by Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa, and Shakespeare, played by Killing Eve's Edward Bluemel.
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Outlander's Sam Heughan to star as Macbeth in theatre debut
Scottish acting star Sam Heughan, famed for his role as Outlander's Jamie Fraser, says his 'dreams have come true' as he will make his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Outlander star Sam Heughan is set to return to the stage for his theatre debut as Macbeth, at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). It comes as they announced their line-up of events for the year ahead, and into 2026. Among a stellar line-up of plays to take place, Heughan was delighted to announce he will star in a leading role of RSC's latest version of Macbeth at William Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon. The Scots actor, famed for portraying Jamie Fraser in hit historical romance programme Outlander, admitted his dreams have come true as he landed the role. He will feature alongside The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, starring as Lady Macbeth. Discussing his new role, Sam,45, said: "At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character previously. The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Before fame, Sam was looking fresh-faced and almost unrecognisable on stage in the award-winning production of David Greig's Outlying Islands when it premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival back in 2002. The Traverse Theatre Company shared a promotional poster featuring Sam as he made an uncanny resemblance to a character from the Twilight vampire series, sporting pale skin, red lips and bright blue eyes. The actor was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Performer for his role in the stage show, reports Hello!, with it coming two years before Sam appeared in his first professional television role in the miniseries Island at War. Meanwhile, Outlander fans are preparing to mark the end of an era as they await the eighth and final season of the globally celebrated franchise, based on Diana Gabaldon's best-selling books.
Glasgow Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Outlander star Sam Heughan to make debut in iconic role
The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of famous playwright William Shakespeare. In the RSC's latest version of Macbeth, Scottish actor Heughan, 45, known for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in romance drama Outlander, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. Heughan said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character who, consumed by greed and power, murders the king to take the Scottish throne for himself. When will Sam Heughan take the stage as MacBeth? The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Elsewhere, four of Shakespeare's most famous characters have their stories revisited across two performances, also being staged at The Other Place, from January 2026. The first performance in All Is But Fantasy explores the story of Lady Macbeth, who is consumed by guilt after plotting to murder King Duncan, and Emilia, a character in tragedy play, Othello. The second performance looks at the story of Juliet, from tragic romance story Romeo And Juliet, and Richard III, who uses manipulation to become king in the eponymous play. Olivier award-winning actor Adrian Lester will play the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac in a new version of Edmond Rostand's play about the novelist and playwright, showing at the Swan Theatre from September 27 to November 15. Over at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch will star as Henry V in a play running from March 14 to April 25 2026. Other highlights include an 80-minute staging of King Lear and a two-part adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga, both playing at the Swan Theatre later in the year, with the former also going on tour. The RSC is also staging plays in the West End and recently announced the UK premiere of Liz Duffy Adams's Born With Teeth, which will play at Wyndham's Theatre, previewing on August 13 with a final performance on November 1. The production follows rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe, played by Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa, and Shakespeare, played by Killing Eve's Edward Bluemel.
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Outlander star Sam Heughan returns to his Edinburgh roots as he lands ‘dream' role
Outlander actor Sam Heughan has spoken of his joy at landing a role he's dreamed of since cutting his teeth in theatre as a teenager in Edinburgh. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish star, who plays highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the hit time-travel series, has been announced to play the title role in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth. Heughan, 45, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Balmaclellan-born celebrity, who moved to Edinburgh as a 12-year-old, said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number two' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people.' The play will be performed in the RSC's The Other Place theatre, in Stratford Upon Avon, from 9 October to 6 December. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Heughan has spoken about his time in Edinburgh several times in the past. In his memoir, Waypoints, he opens up about his family's move to the Scottish capital when he was a teenager – saying it was like a 'like a whole new world for him' after upping sticks from his native Dumfries and Galloway. In the bestselling book, he talks about what it was like to be uprooted from a quiet community to a bustling city. In a chapter titled 'The Wake-Up Call', Heughan reveals that his family moved to Edinburgh so his mother could enrol at Edinburgh College of Art. He writes: 'After years of living in a quiet community, my mother, my brother and I packed our belongings for what felt like a whole new world. 'Swapping the stable and the castle ruins for a suburban street in Edinburgh, we set about settling in for this new chapter in our lives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was a big change, but also hugely exciting for two young lads like [brother] Cirdan and me. I had just finished at my little primary school, so I started high school at the same time as all my new classmates. 'It was a little overwhelming to begin with, but since I could now see without the dreaded glasses, I soon started to make friends and feel comfortable in a crowd.' The young Sam attended James Gillespie's High School, which he recalls as having 'very strong on rules and discipline'. He also remembers a run-in with the school's head teacher, after an incident involving a carton of milk. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He writes: 'On one occasion, I came very close to getting into trouble from the top. 'At the time, I had just been made a school prefect... The incident began with a milk carton. I had been tasked with helping to dish them out at break time to pupils who were part of a milk-in-schools scheme. 'On finding one left over, I decided to join the scheme for one break only... A moment later, like a gunslinger in some two-bit town, the headmistress stepped out. 'My eyes went wide with horror... I seized an escape route in the form of the door to the toilet block... I took one look at the open window and lobbed it out.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Musing that it was the perhaps first time he ever got into character, Heughan goes on to describe raiding a bin once his headmistress questioned him about the missing milk carton – and how he bluffed her after luckily finding one at the bottom. He writes: 'The headmistress considered the carton in my hand... Once again she seemed to be searching my expression for cracks. The face-off only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. 'It was perhaps the first occasion that I'd got into character, and it wouldn't be the last. Ultimately it showed me what was possible if I delivered it with conviction.'
Wales Online
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Outlander's Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut
Outlander's Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon Outlander star Sam Heughan is to play Macbeth in his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of famous playwright William Shakespeare. In the RSC's latest version of Macbeth, Scottish actor Heughan, 45, known for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in romance drama Outlander, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. Heughan said: "At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. "It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. "Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. Article continues below "The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. "The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing." David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character who, consumed by greed and power, murders the king to take the Scottish throne for himself. The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Elsewhere, four of Shakespeare's most famous characters have their stories revisited across two performances, also being staged at The Other Place, from January 2026. The first performance in All Is But Fantasy explores the story of Lady Macbeth, who is consumed by guilt after plotting to murder King Duncan, and Emilia, a character in tragedy play, Othello. The second performance looks at the story of Juliet, from tragic romance story Romeo And Juliet, and Richard III, who uses manipulation to become king in the eponymous play. Olivier award-winning actor Adrian Lester will play the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac in a new version of Edmond Rostand's play about the novelist and playwright, showing at the Swan Theatre from September 27 to November 15. Over at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch will star as Henry V in a play running from March 14 to April 25 2026. Other highlights include an 80-minute staging of King Lear and a two-part adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga, both playing at the Swan Theatre later in the year, with the former also going on tour. The RSC is also staging plays in the West End and recently announced the UK premiere of Liz Duffy Adams's Born With Teeth, which will play at Wyndham's Theatre, previewing on August 13 with a final performance on November 1. The production follows rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe, played by Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa, and Shakespeare, played by Killing Eve's Edward Bluemel. Article continues below Over in North America, Lolita Chakrabarti's acclaimed stage adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel Hamnet embarks on a three-date tour of the US in Spring 2026. RSC co-artistic directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans said: "From Malawi or Manhattan, through French fields, Scottish heaths, mythical lands and Giant country, our 2025/26 programme celebrates what we believe a 21st Century RSC can and should be: global in ambition and outlook, open and collaborative in nature and continuously redefining how Shakespeare and great storytelling can bring joy, connection and improve our understanding of one-another. "We are delighted to welcome so many artists in their RSC debuts this season, including internationally renowned acting talents Adrian Lester, Sam Heughan and Lia Williams, playwrights Debris Stevenson, Richy Hughes, Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, alongside the visionary theatre-makers of tomorrow, Lynette Linton, Simon Evans, Josh Roche and Whitney White to name a few."
