THERE will be quite a few surprises in store for audiences when the Royal Shakespeare Company’s winter production begins its long-term run in November.

Full casting has just been announced for The Tempest, which opens in Stratford-upon-Avon’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre in November to conclude Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary year.

This production of Shakespeare’s late play, in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios, has been in development since September last year, and aims to break new boundaries in theatre-making with the very first live motion capture performance appearing in a major classical stage production.

Gregory Doran, as previously reported, will be directing the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Prospero, as he returns to the company for the first time in over 20 years.

Mark Quartley plays Ariel, and will be taking on a whole new area of stage craft by wearing a motion capture suit, live on the RST stage.

This allows the movements of his ‘avatar’ Ariel to be projected on and around the stage, including flying and morphing into different versions of the spirit through the power of Intel technology.

Mark’s previous theatre work includes Written on the Heart and Measure for Measure (RSC 2011/12), Private Peaceful (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios), Ghosts (Rose Theatre, Kingston) and a regular role in the television comedy Hoff the Record.

He is joined by RSC Associate Artist Joe Dixon who returns to the company to play Caliban.

Others in the cast include Jonathan Broadbent (Antonio), Elly Condron (Iris), Daniel Easton (Ferdinand), Sarah Kameela Impey (Spirit), Tony Jayawardena (Stephano), Matthew McPherson (Francisco), Joseph Mydell (Gonzalo), Jenny Rainsford (Miranda), Darren Raymond (Boatswain) and Joe Shire (Master of the Ship).

First night of The Tempest is on November 8 with the production running through to January 21, 2017.