Damien Molony will take the title role in Coriolanus at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, from 6 February - 20 March 2027, in a new production directed by Elizabeth Freestone.
Damien Molony, whose credits include Bergerac and Two Weeks in August, plays Caius Martius, the soldier whose victory in battle earns him the name Coriolanus and whose scorn for the business of politics turns both the ruling class and the crowd against him.
RSC Associate Director Elizabeth Freestone returns to the company after her 2023 production of The Tempest. Her approach is shaped by populism, social instability and the fight over dwindling resources. Rome is in the grip of drought and failed harvests, and its citizens hold Martius and the rest of the elite responsible for keeping back grain to drive up its price.
The creative team is Tom Piper (set and co-costume design), Natasha Ward (co-costume design), Oliver Fenwick (lighting), Adrienne Quartly (composer and sound design), Sarita Piotrowski (movement), Kev McCurdy (fight direction) and Matthew Dewsbury CDG (casting).
Coriolanus opens the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's 2027 programme, ahead of Richard II and Romeo and Juliet. Priority booking for RSC patrons and members starts on Monday 5 October 2026 and public booking on Wednesday 21 October. The production was announced as part of the RSC's 2027 Stratford season.
