HER Productions, Unseemly Women and Girl Gang Manchester have announced the casting of Coronation Street’s Christine Mackie in Lear.
The joint production of the Shakespearian tragedy will run at Hope Mill Theatre in June and then at Shakespeare North’s Cockpit Theatre.
Lear marks the companies’ fifth, all female and non binary joint Shakespearian production.
Lear is directed by Kayleigh Hawkins and promises a fresh and boundary-less approach to the iconic tragedy of the ageing monarch who, before dividing up their vast kingdom between their daughters, asks them to prove which loves them best.
Speaking about taking on the role, Christine Mackie (Coronation Street’s much loved Dr Gaddas), said, “I am so very excited about playing Lear in this all female and non-binary production; it is the most accessible and human story, the language is just beautiful and it is full of fantastic characters. Lear’s journey is pretty daunting; from supreme leader to someone who learns to feel ‘what wretches feel’ and as a mother of daughters myself, I’m fascinated by Lear’s family relationships… honestly, I cannot wait to start working with this fantastic cast and creative team on this extraordinary play. To be doing so in the North West is also a real delight.”
The production marks Christine Mackie’s sixth Shakespearian role having played Titania in MSND, Adrianna in Comedy of Errors, Elizabeth in Richard III and Lady Macduff in Macbeth, twice.
Completing the cast and joining Mackie on stage are:
ALICE PROCTOR as Edgar
HAYLIE JONES as Edmund
GINA FILLINGHAM as Goneril
TEDDY OYEDIRAN as Regan
ELLA HEYWOOD as Cordelia
FIONA SCOTT as Gloucester
ADELINA LECE-BERE as Kent
PHOEBE FARRINGTON as Fool
EMILY HEYWORTH as Albany
AMY DU QUESNE as Cornwall
NELLIE FOGARTY as Oswald
When does Lear run at Hope Mill Theatre?
Lear runs at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre from 7-18 June 2023.
image of Christine Mackie courtesy Emma Ledwith
