THE producers of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre at Blenheim Palace have announced that Oxfordshire actor William Mannering will perform the title role in Richard III this summer.

The son of Charlbury resident Stella Mannering, whose interior design business is in Woodstock, the actor was brought up in Northmoor and went to The Dragon School in Oxford, before becoming an actor at 13 – after which his education was mainly on film sets.

Oxford Mail:

Most recently seen in the West End in Pressure alongside David Haig, Mr Mannering has worked extensively on Shakespearean productions, including many seasons at the Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Oxford Stage Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

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He has plied his trade in the region, frequently touring to the Playhouse in Oxford, and also played Bottom in The Globe production of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream in The Bodleian Quad in 2014.

His film credits include Master and Commander, as well as popular TV series Poldark, Endeavour and The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Mannering said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity of playing this iconic role in front of a home crowd in Oxfordshire.

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“I grew up just a few miles from Blenheim Palace, always aware of its place in our nation’s history. I can think of no finer setting for the telling of this rich and powerful story.

"Our pop-up Rose Theatre is a building that Shakespeare himself would recognise.”

The playhouse will run from July 8 until September 7.