Kevin Spacey: Actor unveils star-studded 2013 Old Vic line-up

LONDON — Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones are reuniting onstage to play sparring lovers Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," London's Old Vic Theatre announced Monday.

The actors, who starred together in "Driving Miss Daisy" in the West End and on Broadway, will be directed by Mark Rylance in a production of the comedy slated to open in September.

It will offer a distinctive take on the couple, usually presented as young-ish lovers — Redgrave is 75 and Jones 81.

The show is part of a 2013 season that includes a production of Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" starring "Sex and the City" actress Kim Cattrall as a fading Hollywood star, a revival of Terence Rattigan's drama "The Winslow Boy" directed by Lindsay Posner and a British tour of the Old Vic's acclaimed production of Michael Frayn's farce "Noises Off."

Artistic director Kevin Spacey said the lineup reflected the fact that "the Old Vic has always been first and foremost an actors' theater, a home for great talent and memorable performances."

Spacey, an Academy Award winning actor for "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty," has led the Old Vic since 2003, and has been praised for restoring the fortunes of the 200-year-old venue. He has starred in several of its productions, including an acclaimed "Richard III" last year directed by Sam Mendes, who won rave reviews this year for his handling of the latest James Bond movie, "Skyfall".

• Online: www.oldvictheatre.com

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