Elizabeth Debicki is to play the king in Richard II at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, from 10 April - 22 May 2027.
It is a Shakespeare history for a Golden Globe and Emmy winner best known to many from The Crown and Tenet. Daniel Raggett, whose earlier work includes Macbeth and Edward II, directs.
The production puts one question at its centre: what makes a monarch, the crown itself or the person underneath it. Leslie Travers designs the set and Rebecca Latham is dramaturg. No further casting has been named yet.
Richard II is the middle play of three in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre next year. Coriolanus, with Damien Molony, comes before it and Romeo and Juliet after.
Priority booking opens on Monday 5 October 2026, with public booking from Wednesday 21 October. The production is part of the RSC's 2027 season in Stratford.
