Wallingford A-lister cast as Shakespearean lead on London stage

Oxfordshire-raised A-lister Jonathan Bailey has been cast in the title role of Richard II in the iconic Shakespeare play.

The Bridgerton star was born in Wallingford and grew up in nearby Benson - and has made a name for himself on stage as well as in TV and film. 

The Bridge Theatre announced that Bailey would play Richard II on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, much to the delight of excited fans.

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The play will be directed by Nicholas Hynter and will run from February 10, 2025, with tickets set to go on sale later this month for the public.

The Bridge Theatre describes the famous Shakespeare work as "subtle" and "ambiguous", with the play finding "feudal England on the cusp of modernity, as a divinely sanctioned monarch is confronted, in the figure of Henry Bolingbroke, by the hard-headed pragmatism of real authority".

Beyond Bridgerton, Bailey's past work includes Fellow Travellers, Cassio in Nicholas Hytner’s National Theatre production of Othello and Edgar to Ian McKellen’s King Lear.

He has also won an Olivier Award for his role of Jamie in Company and is Fiyero in the up and coming Wicked movie.

Tickets are on sale now to priority members with advance members able to get their hands on tickets from Tuesday, June 25.

The general sale of tickets will open on Wednesday, June 26.