ANTONY SHER and Jasper Britton headline the return of the Royal Shakespeare Company for its annual season at Newcastle Theatre Royal this autumn.

Two of the productions are directed by the RSC’s artistic director Gregory Doran – Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part II.

The trio of plays is completed by The Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Shakespeare’s early exuberant romantic comedy about friendship and betrayal.

“It’s over 20 years since we performed Henry IV at the Theatre Royal, and over 30 years in the case of Two Gentlemen, so we hope audiences in the North-East will the opportunity to see work that we haven’t brought to the area for a while,” says Doran.

“Newcastle is a special place for the RSC, with audiences responding with genuine warmth to our visits.

“Last year our highly successful season at the Theatre Royal, with Hamlet, As You Like It and All’s Well That Ends Well, created a real buzz, and I can’t wait for us to return in the autumn.”

The productions will play in Shakespeare’s home town of Stratford-upon-Avon before travelling to what the RSC regard as their “Northern home”.

The two history plays, Henry IV, Parts I and II, feature Antony Sher as Falstaff, Jasper Britton as Henry lV, Alex Hassell as Prince Hal and Paola Dionisotti as Mistress Quickly.

Sher first worked for the RSC in 1982 and last appeared with the company in 2009 in The Tempest. Last year he appeared at Newcastle Theatre Royal in Travelling Light with the National Theatre.

Alex Hassell returns to the company having performed at the RSC in 2011 in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The City Madam, and Doran’s production of Cardenio.

The previous RSC work of Jasper Britton includes Petruchio in Doran’s production of The Taming of the Shrew and The Tamer Tamed (2003-04). Paola Dionisotti plays Mistress Quickly, following her performances as Pandulph in King John and Margaret in Richard III in 2012.

Several of the cast and all of the creative team for these productions were also part of Doran’s recent critically acclaimed production of Richard II with David Tennant.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be directed by Simon Godwin, making his RSC debut. He is an associate director at the Royal Court and at Bristol Old Vic and his production of Eugene O’Neill’s Strange Interlude recently played to critical acclaim at the National Theatre.

  • Henry IV Part I will run from September 25 to October 4, Henry IV Part II from September 26 to October 4 and The Two Gentlemen Of Verona from October 7 to 11. Tickets cost from £13, with a 15 per cent saving by booking to see all three. A booking fee of 95p to £1.95 will apply to most tickets. Box office 08448- 112121 and online theatreroyal.co.uk Public booking opens on February 15. Friends of the Theatre Royal can book from Tuesday. To find out more about becoming a Friend, visit theatreroyal.co.uk/ join-us/become-a-friend The RSC offers a £5 ticket scheme to 16-25-year-olds.

They can be booked in advance by phone or in person and further tickets are available for sale on the day of the performance.