Elizabeth Debicki to Make Royal Shakespeare Company Debut as First Female Richard II
The acclaimed Australian actress will portray the English monarch in a gender-swapped production set for the RSC's autumn 2026 season.
Culture & Entertainment • 2 hours ago
Elizabeth Debicki, known for her roles in "The Night Manager" and as Diana, Princess of Wales in "The Crown," will make her Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) debut as the first woman to play Richard II.
The gender-swapped production is slated for the RSC's autumn 2026 season. Debicki, an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Australian actress, will take on the titular role, representing the monarch as a woman.
This marks a significant first for the RSC, although it is not the first time a woman has portrayed Richard II on stage. Fiona Shaw played the role at the National Theatre in 1995, and Adjoa Andoh directed and starred in a production at the Globe in 2019 with an all-women of color cast.