SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Shakespeare’s Globe is delighted to announce the cast of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Globe Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes (The Winter’s Tale, Globe). Shakespeare’s madcap comedy about long-lost siblings and mistaken identities will transport us 400 years into an Elizabethan past to watch as these families unravel and descend into glorious chaos. This production continues Shakespeare’s Globe’s 400th Anniversary celebrations of the First Folio, without which the play would have been lost to history.
The cast of The Comedy of Errors comprises Claire Benedict as Abbess, Matthew Broome as Antipholus of Ephesus, Philip Cumbus as Duke / Pinch, Michael Elcock as Antipholus of Syracuse, George Fouracres as Dromio of Ephesus, Laura Hanna as Adriana, Hari MacKinnon as Angelo, Jordan Metcalfe as Dromio of Syracuse, Phoebe Naughton
as Courtesan / First Merchant / Balthazar, Danielle Phillips as Luce / Second Merchant / Messenger, Paul Rider as Egeon, and Jessica Whitehurst as Luciana.
Director Sean Holmes says: “With The Comedy of Errors, I’m looking forward immensely to creating a pulsating and chaotic Elizabethan world perfectly suited to the Globe’s unique architecture. Though nominally set in Ephesus, the play clearly draws on the energy and chaos of the streets of Shakespeare’s London. The production will strive to recreate that vitality and danger, embracing the specificities of costume, props and design to transport us 400 years into the past, while continuing to speak to now.”
Cast biographies are as follows:
Hari MacKinnon will play Angelo. Hari trained at LAMDA. Theatre credits include Feroze in Vinay Patel’s adaptation of The Cherry Orchard (ETT & The Yard Theatre). Screen credits include Staged S3 (BBC/Britbox). Theatre credits whilst training include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gloria, Intimate Apparel, and The Wonderful World of Dissocia (all
LAMDA).
Claire Benedict will play Abbess. Claire trained at LAMDA. This is her debut season at Shakespeare’s Globe. Theatre includes Tamburlaine, Antony and Cleopatra, The Odyssey, Eastward Ho!, Island Princess, The Malcontent, Canterbury Tales, Richard III, All’s Well That Ends Well (RSC); Hamlet, The Dispute, The Critic, So Special, Death & the King’s
Horseman, Medea (The Royal Exchange Theatre); The White Devil, Death & the King’s Horseman, Fix Up (The National); Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet (Regent’s Park); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (dir. Maya Angelou, Claire won the Time Out award for Best Actress, Almeida Theatre); The Bacchae (Shared Experience); Don Juan, Twelfth Night
(Actor’s Touring Co.); So Long on Lonely Street (Watford Palace); The Doctor of Honour (Cheek by Jowl); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (English Shakespeare Company); Macbeth (Odyssey Theatre Co.). Screen credits include In the Club, Casualty, Holby City, Waking the Dead, Thorn, Above Suspicion, Unforgiven, Poppy Shakespeare, Eleventh Hour,
Feather Boy, Grange Hill, Prime Suspect, Frankenstein Chronicles, Jupiter Ascending, Felicia’s Journey, Seasick.
Paul Rider will play Egeon. Most recently, Paul featured in Dangerous Liaisons for Lionsgate+. Previous work for Shakespeare’s Globe includes The Tempest, Cymbeline, The Oresteia, Measure for Measure, Julius Caesar, Doctor Scroggy’s War, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Duchess of Malfi, Henry V, Henry IV Parts 1&2, Love’s Labour’s
Lost, We The People, Coriolanus, Under the Black Flag. Other theatre credits include A Woman of No Importance (Vaudeville Theatre, West End & UK Tour); Chicago (Adelphi, Cambridge Theatre, Phoenix Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, She Stoops to Conquer, Flare Path (Bristol Old Vic); Staircase, The Cutting of the Cloth (Southwark
Playhouse); Hairspray (National Tour); Chekhov in Hell (Theatre Royal Plymouth & Soho Theatre); The Merchant of Venice, The Rivals (Derby Theatre); Comedians (Lyric Hammersmith); Dying For It (Almeida); Women Beware Women (RSC); Singer (Tricycle Theatre); Americans (Arcola Theatre); Arsenic and Old Lace (Strand Theatre); A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Albery Theatre); The Changing Room (Royal Court at Duke of York’s); Hamlet, King Lear, Edward II (Compass Theatre); Teechers, Bouncers (Arts Theatre); She Stoops to Conquer, Richard II, East (Oldham Coliseum). Screen credits include Dangerous Liaisons (Lionsgate+), The Duchess of Malfi (Globe on Screen), Holby City (BBC), Doc Martin (ITV), Horizon – Einstein (BBC Television), Doctors (BBC), French & Saunders (BBC Television), My Family (DLT Entertainment), Victoria Wood With All The Trimmings (BBC Television), Dinnerladies (Pozzitive), Murder Most Horrid (BBC Television), The Bare Necessities (Granada Television), The Bill (ITV), City Central (BBC Television), Broker’s Man (BBC), The Ritz (BBC), Whose Line is it Anyway (Channel 4), Lion Versus the Little People, The War Below (Netflix), Pond Life (Open Palm Films), Undercliffe, Making Noise Quietly (Open Palm Film), A Cock & Bull Story (Shandy Films), Honest (Pathé Entertainment), and Topsy-Turvy (Thin Man Films).
Phoebe Naughton will play Courtesan / First Merchant / Balthazar. Phoebe Naughton trained at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. She has most recently performed in Wildfire Road at Sheffield Theatres. Theatre credits include Wildfire Road (Sheffield Theatres), The Wonderful World of Dissocia (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Key
Workers Cycle (Almeida Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Alexandra Palace), Scenes From The End Of The World (The Yard Theatre), Thank You For The Music (Southwark Playhouse). Screen credits include The Third Day (HBO) and Hoard (BBC/BFI).
Laura Hanna will play Adriana. Laura trained at LAMDA and has recently performed in Once Upon A Time In Nazi Occupied Tunisia at the Almeida. Previous work for Shakespeare’s Globe includes Hakawatis (2022). Other theatre credits include Living Newspaper Edition 5 (Royal Court Theatre); Signal Fires (Fuel Theatre); Leave A Message – Isolated But Open Monologues Online (Papatango); Karaokay (Bunker Theatre); A History Of Water In The Middle East (Royal Court Theatre); Give A Man A Bible (Pint Sized/ The Bunker Theatre); Rest Upon The Wind (Matar Ventures); The Sweethearts (The Finborough Theatre/Raising Dark), Palindrome (Miniaturists); A Bright Room Called Day (Southwark Playhouse); Foreplay (King’s Head Theatre); Red Peppers/Still Life (Folie a deux/Old Red Lion); Lean (Strip Theatre/Tristan Bates Theatre); The Warden (Traffic of the Stage); Much Ado About Nothing (Serendipity Productions); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ASC Random/ The Chelsea Theatre); Beasts And Beauties (The Hampstead Theatre). Screen credits include Heartstopper S2 (Netflix). Radio credits include The Old Man In The Moon (Holy Mountain/BBC Radio 4); The Arabian Nights (Holy Mountain/BBC Radio 4); The Eustace Diamonds (Goldhawk Essential/BBC Radio 4).
Jessica Whitehurst will play Luciana. Jessica Whitehurst trained at Rose Bruford College and appeared at the Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Festival. This is Jessica’s professional debut at Shakespeare’s Globe. Other theatre credits include Cock (The Ambassador) and Nine Night (Leeds Playhouse/Nottingham Playhouse). Screen credits includes The Baby
(HBO) and Midsomer Murders (BBC).
Philip Cumbus will play Duke / Pinch. Philip trained at RADA and has most recently appeared as Charles Spencer in The Crown. Previous work for Shakespeare’s Globe includes: Macbeth, Comus, The Inn at Lydda, Tis Pity She’s A Whore, The Lightning Child, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Mysteries, Love’s Labours Lost, Helen, Romeo
& Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Holding Fire. Other theatre credits include The Best Man (Playhouse Theatre); The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse); Richard III (Trafalgar Studios, West End); Moon Tiger (Theatre Royal, Bath & Tour); The Norman Conquests (Liverpool Playhouse); 66 Books (Bush Theatre); The Master Builder (Minerva Theatre Chichester); The Crucible (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); The Man Who Had All the Luck (Edinburgh Lyceum); JL Carr’s ‘A Month In The Country’ (Salisbury Playhouse); Edward II By Christopher Marlowe (JMK Award at BAC); The Notebook of Trigorin (The Seagull By Tennessee Williams) (The Northcott Theatre) Vincent In Brixton (Salisbury Playhouse) The Duchess of Malfi (West Yorkshire Playhouse); In Praise of Love (Chichester Festival); Great Expectations (The Royal Shakespeare Company); The Little Mermaid (Sphinx); The Soldier (Edinburgh Fringe). Screen credits include The Crown (Netflix), Whitstable Pearl (Acorn), The Spanish PrincessSeasons 1 & 2 (Starz), The Rebel Seasons 1 & 2 (Gold), Girlfriends (ITV).
Danielle Phillips will play Luce / Second Merchant / Messenger. Danielle trained at LAMDA. She recently starred in her debut play Children of the Night at CAST Theatre Doncaster. Other theatre credits include The Upstart Crow (Apollo Theatre, West End); Sky Comedy Rep (Birmingham Rep); How to Save a Rock (English Touring Theatre); The Upstart Crow (Giuelgud Theatre, West End), Trying it On (RSC, Royal Court & UK Tour); Ghost Girl // Gwei Mui (Camden People’s Theatre); Dark Winter (Hull Truck); Reared (Theatre 503); Istanbul: YNWA (From the Gut Theatre); E15, The 56 (Lung Theatre & Battersea Arts Centre). Screen credits include Masters of the Air (Apple TV); Father Brown (BBC); Sister Bonifaće Murder Mysteries (Britbox); Ready Player One (WarnerBros); Sandra Gets a New Fringe (BFI). Radio
credits include Spice & Trying it On (BBC Radio 4).
George Fouracres will play Dromio of Ephesus. George recently performed at the Globe in Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Hamlet (2022), Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2021). He is a member of critically acclaimed sketch trio Daphne. Other theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Filter Theatre/Lyric Hammersmith); The Diary of a Nobody (Rough Haired Pointer); Scrooge & Marley (Dippermouth). Screen credits include Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (Channel 4); Spitting Image (Britbox); Semi-Detached (BBC 2); Whiskey Cavalier (ABC); Pls Like Series 2 (BBC Three); Comic Relief (BBC 1), Drunk History Series 3/Series 2 (Tiger Aspect); Raised by Wolves (Channel 4) and Accident Man 2: Hitman’s Holiday. Radio credits include George Fouracres: Black Country Gentlemon, Alexei Sayle’s Absence of Normal, The Lenny Henry Show, Clare in the Community, VIP RIP, Britain in Bits with Ross Noble, Jake Yapp’s Media Circus, The Now Show, Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery, Daphne Sounds Expensive, Spotlight Tonight with Nish Kumar, Newsjack (BBC Radio 4 and 4Extra).
Michael Elcock will play Antipholus of Syracuse. Michael trained at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Theatre credits include Hex and The Visit (National Theatre); The Meaning Of Zong (Bristol Old Vic); Arthur/Merlin (Iris Theatre); 846 Live (Theatre Royal Stratford East); In A Word (Young Vic); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regents Park
Open Air Theatre). Screen credits include Queens of Mystery – Seasons 1&2 (Sly Fox for Acorn TV) and Kitchen Sink (Channel 4).
Jordan Metcalfe will play Dromio of Syracuse. Jordan trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and recently appeared in Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Lyric Hammersmith. Previous work for Shakespeare’s Globe includes: Eyam, The Winter’s Tale. Other theatre credits include Jack Absolute Flies Again, The Pillowman (National Theatre); The Hypocrite, Wendy & Peter (RSC); Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Sheffield Crucible, Lyric Hammersmith); For Love or Money (Northern Broadsides); POSH (Nottingham Playhouse); Hobson’s Choice (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Hypochondriac (Theatre Royal, Bath); Oliver Twist (Lyric Hammersmith); The Dreaming (Royal Opera House); Romeo and Juliet (Hull Truck). Screen credits include Misfits, Utopia (C4); Father Brown, The Afternoon Play, The Last Detective, Maddigan’s Quest, The Iceman Murder, Fungus the Bogeyman, The Last Flight to Kuwait, The Queen’s Nose (BBC); Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This, Ultimate Force, Heartbeat, My Parents are Aliens, Girls in Love (ITV); Pride (Lionsgate); Fractured, These Foolish Things.
Matthew Broome will play Antipholus of Ephesus. Matthew trained at Guildhall School for Music and Drama. He recently completed filming on the upcoming Apple TV series The Buccaneers. Prior to that, he featured in Scandaltown at Lyric Hammersmith.
The Comedy of Errors was cast by Becky Paris, Head of Casting at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Creative team:
Naeem Hayat – Associate Director
Grant Olding – Composer
Megan Cassidy – Costume Supervisor
Jackie Orton – Costume Supervisor
Paul Wills – Designer
Sean Holmes – Director
Maisie Carter – Fight Director
Glynn MacDonald – Globe Associate – Movement
Tamsin Hurtado Clarke – Movement Director
Simon Trinder – Text
Gary Horner – Voice