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A panoramic view of the QNCC theatre where the performances are to be staged |
The performances are being held on December 16-17 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) as part of an international tour backed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).
The production which brings together Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes with Spacey yet again will be hosted in association with the Middle East Theatre Academy.
Mendes directed Spacey in the 1999 Academy Award winning film American Beauty which won five Oscars including the best director for Mendes and best actor for Spacey apart from taking home the honours for the best picture, best original screenplay and best cinematography.
“This is a global tour that has been praised by audiences and critics alike,” a DFI spokesman told Gulf Times yesterday. Qatar is the only Middle East destination included in a tour which has travelled to Greece, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Istanbul and Sydney, amongst others.
It is the first time such an event is being held at the QNCC and the first time that Qatar has played host to a theatre production of this quality or scale.
“To celebrate the performances, DFI has subsidised tickets, with many excellent seats available for just QR100. Nowhere else in the world would people have access to a globally-acclaimed theatre production, headed by a huge international star of Kevin Spacey’s stature, and directed by an illustrious filmmaker like Sam Mendes,” the spokesman explained.
Each stop on the tour results in thousands of people enjoying fine theatre and sharing a cultural experience with theatregoers throughout the world, he pointed out while adding that the arts are unparalleled in their ability to create shared, moving experiences for people of diverse cultures.
The Richard III tour kicked off amid critical acclaim at The Old Vic on June 29.
Mendes directs a formidable cast of British and American actors, including Maureen Anderman as the Duchess of York; Haydn Gwynne as Queen Elizabeth; Chuk Iwuji as Duke of Buckingham; Gemma Jones as Queen Margaret; and Chandler Williams as George, Duke of Clarence.
The tour is part of The Bridge Project, an initiative that brings together British and American actors in classic theatre productions.
Currently in its third year, The Bridge Project is a unique collaboration between the Old Vic Theatre, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the independent UK production company Neal Street presented by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Tickets to the global production are on sale and can be purchased online at www.dohafilminstitute.com/Richard-111 or from the DFI Box Office at Building 26 of the Katara Cultural Village
