The Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance today announce that Kyoto will transfer to @sohoplace for a limited 16-week run from Thursday 9 January to Saturday 3 May 2025.

Tickets go on sale to RSC, Good Chance and Nimax priority bookers from Thursday 3 October at 10am, and on public sale from Friday 4 October at 10am at sohoplace.org.

The production transfers direct from its critically acclaimed run in Stratford-upon-Avon; one of 17 productions announced as part of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s inaugural programme as RSC Co-Artistic Directors and their first co-production with Good Chance.

The London transfer will see Tony award-nominated actor Stephen Kunken (Billions, The Handmaid’s Tale) reprise his celebrated role as American oil lobbyist and master strategist, Don Pearlman, after making his RSC debut earlier this year.

The announcement coincides with the release of further casting for the RSC’s upcoming productions of The Red Shoes and Twelfth Night. The productions run from the 7 November 2024 to 19 January 2025 in the Swan Theatre and 5 December 2024 to 18 January 2025 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, respectively.

Global in scale and yet personal at heart, Kyoto is a fast-paced, politically charged thriller which places audiences at the heart of the historic 1997 Kyoto climate summit, a world where big oil, big money and big egos clash in the battle to secure the world’s first legally binding emissions targets. Written by Good Chance co-founders, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (The Jungle, The Walk with Little Amal) and directed by Stephen Daldry (Stranger Things The First Shadow, Billy Elliot, The Inheritance) and Justin Martin (Stranger Things The First Shadow, Prima Facie), this breathless and gripping tale recounts the fateful hours of tense negotiation which lead up to the historic signing of the UN’s landmark climate conference in December 1997. The production features a unique production design by award-winning designer Miriam Buether.

Initial casting for the RSC’s forthcoming production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is also announced today. The BAFTA and Olivier nominated actor Samuel West will play Malvolio alongside Gwyneth Keyworth in her RSC debut as Viola, with further cast to be announced later this month.

Amongst Samuel’s well-known credits are the Channel 5 remake of All Creatures Great and Small, Apple TV’s Slow Horses and Darkest Hour. He returns to the RSC, having last performed here as the title roles in Steven Pimlott’s Richard II (2000) and Hamlet (2001).

Gwyneth Keyworth, who has appeared in Black Mirror, Game of Thrones and Alex Rider, is perhaps best known for her role as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre, for which she won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Performer in 2023.

British-Canadian singer songwriter Matt Maltese, known for viral hits such as As The World Caves In, Intolewd and Everyone Adores You (at least I do) will make his theatre debut as production composer.

Twelfth Night will run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Thursday 5 December – Saturday 18 January 2025.

In the Swan Theatre, Nikki Cheung will make her RSC debut as Karen in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Red Shoes in a new version by Nancy Harris, with direction and movement by Kimberley Rampersad (Associate Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, Canada).

Nikki Cheung makes her RSC debut as Karen. Nikki is a ballet, jazz and contemporary theatre performer. Her most recent stage credits include Disney’s The Lion King (West End). She was a featured dancer in Jacky Cheung’s A Classic Tour, appeared in and choreographed for The Freshman’s I’m Coming Home music video, and also appeared in Bradley Wayburne’s Staying Alive television series.

Dianne Pilkington and James Doherty make their RSC debuts as Mariella and Bob, the social climbing couple who adopt Karen.  Dianne’s theatre credits include The Wizard of Oz, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Young Frankenstein and Wicked.  James’ theatre credits include London Road, Beyond Caring, NT:50 (National Theatre), Come From Away, Chicago (West End), and Eventide (Arcola); his TV credits include House Of The Dragon, The Gold, Big Boys and Trying.

Sebastien Torkia plays the Priest and the mysterious shoemaker, Sylvestor. Sebastien played Mr Wormwood in the RSC’s Matilda The Musical (Cambridge Theatre), with other West End credits including A Christmas Carol (Old Vic Theatre), The Mousetrap (St Martins Theatre) and Guys and Dolls.  Screen credits include The Boleyns (BBC), Coronation Street, Mamma Mia! and Aladdin.

The full cast comprises: Julie Armstrong (Ensemble), Leslie Garcia Bowman (Onstage Swing), Nikki Cheung (Karen), Momar Diagne (Ensemble), James Doherty (Bob), Joseph Edwards (Clive), Caití Ellen (Ensemble), Anya Ferdinand (Ensemble), Michael Lin (Ensemble), Mia Musakambeva (Onstage Swing), Kody Mortimer (Prince), Dianne Pilkington (Mariella), Sakuntala Ramanee (Mags), Ben Redfern (Ensemble), Sebastien Torkia (Sylvestor/Priest) and Alexandra Waite-Roberts (Ensemble).

The Red Shoes will run in the Swan Theatre from Thursday 7 November 2024 – Sunday 19 January 2025.