All articles tagged with #royal shakespeare company
Renowned Shakespearean actor and founder of the English Shakespeare Company, Michael Pennington, has died at 82. A longtime honorary associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he appeared in more than 70 screen roles—including Return of the Jedi as Moff Jerjerrod and The Iron Lady—while also shaping theatre through his classical productions. He died peacefully at Denville Hall, according to his agent.
Stage and screen actor Michael Pennington, famed for his Star Wars role as Moff Jerjerrod and as a longtime Shakespearean performer who co-founded the English Shakespeare Company, has died at 82. His career spanned more than 70 screen roles, including The Iron Lady, and he was closely associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company; tributes praised his clarity, wisdom and artistry.
Michael Pennington, the British stage actor who portrayed Moff Jerjerrod in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has died at 82. A celebrated theatre performer, he co-founded the English Shakespeare Company after a long tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared on screen in Hamlet (1969) and The Iron Lady, among other TV and film roles; his later work included appearances in Raised By Wolves, Endeavour, Father Brown and Silent Witness. The cause of death was not disclosed.
British actor Michael Pennington, known to Star Wars fans as Moff Jerjerrod and a longtime pillar of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has died aged 82, The Telegraph reports. A revered stage star who founded The English Shakespeare Company in 1986, Pennington’s career spanned theatre, TV and film, and he also wrote about performance; his death marks the loss of a renowned figure in both British theatre and popular culture.
George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: The Mad King is headed to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon as a stage prequel adaptation by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, dramatizing Harrenhal’s tournament that triggers Robert’s Rebellion; world premiere planned for this summer with priority tickets on sale April 14 and RSC updates available to members.
The Royal Shakespeare Company will stage Game of Thrones: The Mad King at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre this summer, directed by Dominic Cooke with Duncan Macmillan as playwright. The prequel-set drama centers on Lyanna Stark (in her teens) during Harrenhal’s tournament and weaves a Romeo-and-Juliet–like arc with Rhaegar Targaryen, with Ned Stark’s younger self among the cast of younger characters. Casting is underway with two key roles already offered, and George R.R. Martin contributed material and consultation. The show aims to appeal to both hardcore fans and new audiences, with tickets going on sale in April and talks of a West End transfer to Gillian Lynne Theatre after the summer run.
Actor Paxton Whitehead, known for his role in "Back To School" and a Tony nomination for "Camelot," has died at the age of 85. Whitehead spent most of his early career on stage, including with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later appeared on hit TV shows such as "Frasier" and "Friends." He also served as artistic director of the Shaw Festival. Whitehead is survived by a son and daughter.