The full casting has been announced for the Arcola Theatre’s new production Lizzie Siddal.
Joining the previously announced Emma West as Lizzie Siddal are Tom Bateman as Dante Gabriel Rosseti, Daniel Crossley as John Ruskin/Charles Howell, Simon Darwen as William Holman Hunt, James Northcote as John Everett Millais and Jayne Wisener as Annie Miller.
Lizzie Siddal is due to open on Wednesday 20th November 2013 and is a new play about the woman who was ‘Ophelia’ in Millais’ famous painting. The synopsis for the show is:
London,1849. Lizzie is plucked from the obscurity of a bonnet shop to model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood – an intoxicating group of young painters bent on revolutionising the Victorian art world. Inspired by their passion, Lizzie throws herself headlong into their lives and their art. She nearly dies in the creation of ‘Ophelia’, but the painting is a triumph. Lizzie wants more and dares to dream of being an artist in her own right. Falling in love with the charismatic Dante Gabriel Rossetti, she becomes his muse, and finally fulfils her dream of being an independent artist. But independence isn’t always what it seems, love can be fickle and all art is a kind of deception. Lizzie is betrayed, and her response sparks a devastating denouement that still stirs debate to this day.
An enigmatic cult figure, Lizzie’s life continues to inspire books, blogs and articles. Lizzie Siddal charts her true and dazzling trajectory from model to lover to artist, to a tragic figure in her own right, bringing her story to life on stage for the very first time.
Lizzie Siddal is written by Jeremy Green and will be directed by Lotte Wakeham with design by David Woodhead, lighting design by Howard Hudson and sound design by Andy Graham. It is produced by Copperhead Productions and Peter Huntley Productions.
The show will run from Wednesday 20th November to Saturday 21st December 2013 and you can get tickets at www.arcolatheatre.com
