Richard Briers, Janet Suzman Set For Almeida's SONNET 155 May 2, May 9 & May 16

Tim Arnold's New Studio Album SONNET 155 will play 3 ‘Exclusive' Performances at The Almeida Theatre May 2nd, 9th and 16th @ 7pm. One rock band. One string quartet. Two opera singers. Three actors. 

The show will be featuring Richard Briers, Janet Suzman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lisa Dillon, Paul McGann, Hattie Morahan. When researching ideas for a new album, Tim Arnold - singer-songwriter, rock musician and composer, asked renowned Shakespearean actors Sir Ian McKellan, Sir Derek Jacobi, Pete Postlethwaite, Richard Briers, Janet Suzman and Emma Thompson to identify a single theme from Shakespeare's works. He received many considered and heartfelt responses, and from these he found the inspiration for his new album SONNET 155. The result is one man's personal navigation through these ideas. 

To celebrate the release of the album, on three consecutive Sunday evenings (2nd, 9th and 16th May 2010) there will be a unique performance of SONNET 155 staged at The Almeida Theatre, fusing Arnold's music with actors, produced by B7 Productions and directed by acclaimed theatre director, Deborah Bruce.

A provocative re-imagining of Shakespeare's themes through classical music, rock music and spoken word.

"Sonnet 155 is not about Shakespeare; it's a response provoked by Shakespeare" - Tim Arnold

The album SONNET 155 sounds like a major studio album, however, the reality is that Tim produced it in his bedroom. SONNET 155 is a rock/classical crossover of 11 songs written and performed by Arnold, which also re-interprets classical pieces of music by Mozart, Rimsky Korsakov and a co-write with Michael Nyman - all driven by Shakespearean themes.

This production will merge the actors with a full on Rock band, string quartet and Opera singers, with words interwoven with the songs, sometimes spoken over music, sometimes over silence, sometimes with the lyrics, like ghosts on the stage.

SONNET 155 will feature: Richard Briers* - Endgame (West End), Coriolanus, Uncle Vanya, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles (BBC TV); Janet Suzman* - Oscar nominated actress; Nicholas and Alexandra, The Draughtsman's Contract, Dry White Season and The Signing Detective; Lisa Dillon* - Private Lives (West End), When The Rain Stops Falling (Almeida), Cranford (BBC TV); Paul McGann* - Mourning Becomes Her (National Theatre), Helen (The Globe), Withnail and I; Benedict Cumberbatch* - BBC's new Sherlock and Hattie Morahan* - Sense & Sensibility.

Music & Lyrics - Tim Arnold

Text - William Shakespeare

Director - Deborah Bruce

Sunday 2 May - 7:00PM

Hattie Morahan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lisa Dillon

Sunday 9 May - 7:00PM

Richard Briers, Lisa Dillon, Paul McGann

Sunday 16 May - 7:00PM

Janet Suzman, Paul McGann, Lisa Dillon

Ticket prices £18 (£15 concessions). Venue - The Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA (Angel/Highbury and Islington tube stations) www.sonnet155.com 

SONNET 155 Live - Book Tickets Now on 020 7359 4404