Oscar-Winners Kevin Spacey, Sam Mendes Re-Unite for Shakespeare’s 'Richard III' Stage Production in Qatar

LONDON – Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey is to play the title role in Shakespeare’s Richard III for two performances at the Qatar National Convention Centre, as part of an international tour backed by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).

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Fellow Oscar-winner Sam Mendes will take a break from shooting the latest James Bond film Skyfall to reunite with his American Beauty star Spacey to direct him in the brace of performances in Qatar in December this year.

The production will be hosted at the Doha venue on Dec. 16 and 17 in association with the Middle East Theatre Academy.

Qatar is the only Middle East destination included in the global tour with scheduled performances in Greece, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore and Istanbul amongst others.

The Richard III tour kicked off at The Old Vic in London on June 29, 2011.

DFI has also partnered with the Kevin Spacey Foundation to offer acting workshops to two local schools as part of its inaugural flagship project "Richard’s Rampage," an initiative spanning 11 countries and three continents.

Mendes directs a cast of British and American actors including Maureen Anderman as the Duchess of York, Haydn Gwynne as Queen Elizabeth, Chuk Iwuji as Duke of Buckingham, Gemma Jones as Queen Margaret and Chandler Williams as George, Duke of Clarence.

The tour is part of The Bridge Project, an initiative that brings together British and American actors in classic theatre productions currently in its third year.

The Bridge Project is a collaboration between London’s Old Vic Theatre, BAM (the Brooklyn Academy of Music) and the independent U.K. production banner Neal Street.

It is backed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Through DFI, Doha is a co-commissioner city for the Middle East leg of the production.