Watch the trailer for A Mad World My Masters UK Tour

Check out the brand new trailer for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of A Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton below! The production is currently touring the UK ahead of a limited engagement at the Barbican between 29th April and 9th May 2015.

Speaking to West End Frame during a recent interview about accepting his role, the show's star Joe Bannister (Dick Follywit) said, "It was a very easy decision because it’s such a brilliant and hilarious part. It is all singing and all dancing, which is also terrifying, but it’s an exciting thing to get to do."

When questioned about how he thinks audiences will come away feeling he said, "Hopefully they will be energised! It’s very physical; we will be giving our all and be sweating and dripping. There is a big dance number at the end so they should come out elated having laughed a lot. Ideally their sides will hurt from laughing. As long as we suck them in at the beginning they will be carried along on the journey." Click here to read the full interview. 

Interview: Joe Bannister, starring in A Mad World My Masters

Joe Bannister is starring as Dick Follywit in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of A Mad World My Masters by Thomas Middleton. 

Presented by English Touring Theatre and directed by Sean Foley (I Can’t Sing/Jeeves and Wooster), A Mad World My Masters tours the country between 26th February and 9th May 2015. 

Joe plays Dick Follywit, having understudied the part in the production’s 2013 run in Stratford-upon-Avon. His other RSC credits include: The Witch of Edmonton, Arden of Faversham, The Roaring Girl and Titus Andronicus. 

Joe also played Colin and Frank in Chariots of Fire (Hampstead/Gielgud), Percy Bysshe Shelley in Bloody Poetry (Jermyn Street) and understudied the roles of Phillip and John in Trevor Nunn’s production of The Lion in Winter (Theatre Royal Haymarket). 

I recently spoke to Joe during a break from rehearsals about why he’s excited to be taking on such an gruelling role, Sean Foley’s amazing brain and why he feels like Gene Kelly… 

When you were approached to play Dick Follywit full time was it an easy ‘yes’? 

Yes – it was an easy yes. It’s just such a good part! When I understudied the part we did an understudy run – a one off performance – which is unlike anything else you get to do because it’s one off and people are playing about seven parts. You don’t really know what you’re doing and are just thrown into it, but I enjoyed the understudy run so much because the play is bonkers! The only danger is it not being as good as my memory is of that day! But yes, it was a very easy decision because it’s such a brilliant and hilarious part. It is all singing and all dancing, which is also terrifying, but it’s an exciting thing to get to do. 

Full casting announced for A Mad World My Masters 2015 UK Tour directed by Sean Foley

Full casting has been announced for the Royal Shakespeare Company and English Touring Theatre’s production of Thomas Middleton’s A Mad World My Masters. The show returns in 2015 for an eight venue national tour 

Sean Foley (who has edited the script with Phil Porter) directs with design by Alice Power, lighting by Johanna Town, sound and music by Ben and Max Ringham and choreography by Polly Bennett. Marieke Audsley is the Associate Director, Hannah Miller is the Casting Director and Alison de Burgh  is the Fight Choreographer.

A Mad World My Masters visits: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (26 – 28 February), Grand Theatre Blackpool (5 – 7 March), Theatre Royal Brighton (10 – 14 March), Malvern Theatres (24 – 28 March),Hall for Cornwall (31 March – 4 April), Theatre Royal Bath (7 – 11 April), Darlington Civic Theatre (14 – 18 April) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (21 – 25 April) before playing a limited run at the Barbican (29 April – 9 May).