Royal Shakespeare Company Associate Artist Harriet Waiter rejoins the company to play Lady Macbeth in a major new production of Macbeth, directed by Gregory Doran, to open in the Swan Theatre in November 1999 as part of the RSC's Winter Season for the Millennium. Harriet plays opposite fellow RSC Associate Artist Antony Sher (in the title role), and the pair last worked together in Bill Alexander's acclaimed production of Twelfth Night (RST 1987) playing Viola and Malvolio.

Harriet Waiter and Antony Sher join Sir Nigel Hawthorne in the RSC's acting company for the Winter 1999/2000 Season. Nigel Hawthorne plays King Lear in a production directed by acclaimed Japanese director Yukio Ninagawa which will open in Japan, before transferring to the Barbican, London and on to Stratford.

Harriet adds Lady Macbeth to her repertoire of Shakespearean female protagonists. During her time with the RSC she has played lmogen (Cymbeline), Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream, for which she won an Olivier Award) and Helena (All's Well That Ends Well). She also played Ophelia opposite Jonathan Pryce's Hamlet for the Royal Court and Portia in The Merchant of Venice at the Manchester Royal Exchange.

Harriet has just finished appearing in Harold Pinter's highly praised production of Simon Gray's The Late Middle Classes. Other recent theatre credits include lvanov (Aimeida), Hedda Gabier (Chichester) and Sweet Panic (Hampstead). On television Harriet's many credits include two series of the popular comedy Unfinished Business, The Price and Harriet Vane in The Lord Peter Wimsey series. She recently appeared in Ang Lee's Oscar winning film, Sense and Sensibility.

Harriet has just written her first book, Other People's Shoes, published by Penguin.

Award-winning actor Antony Sher is also an Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where many acclaimed performances have made him one of the most charismatic theatre actors of his generation. His famed Shakespearean roles include Richard Ill, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Titus Andronicus and most recently his performance of Leontes in Gregory Doran's production of The Winter's Tale earned him exceptional reviews.

Antony is also a successful writer and artist. He has published four novels, including most recently The Feast, and two theatre journals.. The Year of the King and Woza Shakespeare!, co written with Gregory Doran. He recently appeared in the two highly successful British films, Mrs Brown and Shakespeare in Love.

RSC Associate Director Gregory Doran's outstanding production of Oroonoko has just opened in the 1999 Stratford Summer Festival Season to rave reviews. Gregory will also direct Alan Bates in Timon of Athens this season. Other recent productions for the RSC include his highly praised The Winter's Tale (RST 1998), The Merchant of Venice (RST 1997), Cyrano de Bergerac (Swan 1997/tour/West End) and Henry Vill (Swan 1996). Gregory will also direct the York Mystery Plays as part of the city's Millennium celebrations.

Performance Dates:
Macbeth in repertoire: Swan Theatre from 2 November 1999 - 6 January 2000