A TOTAL of 24 extras from across the Midlands, including a number from Stratford, will take part in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) forthcoming production of King Lear.

The show features Antony Sher in the title role, and is directed by RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran.

A spokesman said: "The extras will appear on stage in a number of scenes as Lear’s knights, soldiers and vagrants, in a production that runs between August 20 and October 12 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon.

"Back in June the RSC put out a call asking for people to get involved in the production. A number of ‘taster’ workshops took place, involving movement, acting, singing and fight sessions, to give those interested a glimpse of what the experience would entail. From the 140 people who applied, twenty-four will now get to tread the stage of the world-famous theatre, appearing in alternate performances in two groups of twelve."

Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director, and director of King Lear, said: “Lear often refers to his ‘one hundred knights’ but rarely do we get to see full their riotous presence on stage. We wanted the audience to experience what his daughter Goneril has to go through when entertaining his ‘insolent retinue’ and maybe understand why she would want to cast him and his people out into the storm.

"It felt like a wonderful opportunity to engage with the local community, as we did back in 2012 with Julius Caesar with great success, to bring to life these ‘debauched and bold’ knights. It is going to be very exciting to watch our supporting cast of twenty-four Midlanders bring a new energy and life to one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays.”

The extras have been spending time with members of the King Lear creative team, including Anna Girvan (Assistant Director), Bret Yount (Fight Director) and Michael Ashcroft (Movement Director).