Oscar® and three-time Tony® winner Mark Rylance, following his acclaimed performance in the hit film Dunkirk, returns to the stage in Farinelli and the King. This captivating new play arrives on Broadway after sold-out runs at Shakespeare’s Globe and on London’s West End.

Written by Claire van Kampen and directed by John Dove, it tells the true story of Philippe V (Rylance), a Spanish monarch on the brink of madness. He finds unexpected solace in the voice of world-renowned castrato Farinelli, a role brought to life by two esteemed performers – West End actor Sam Crane and countertenor Iestyn Davies.

Like Broadway’s Twelfth Night and Richard III, this contemporary work is presented in the signature style of Shakespeare’s Globe – traditional baroque instruments are played live in a gallery above the stage; the audience enjoys intimate seating with several rows onstage; and the story is told by candlelight, creating an enchanting theatergoing experience.

Award-winning British actress Melody Grove has been a bit of a New Yorker lately — first with the downtown hit The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (The National Theater of Scotland) and currently as Isabella Farnese, Queen of Spain in Farinelli and the King now playing on Broadway. Starring Mark Rylance and written by Claire Van Kampen, the play transferred after a highly successful run in London’s West End. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama), her training holds her in good stead; in her role as Isabella Farnese she takes an enormous emotional journey eight shows a week. Ms. Grove plays the Queen of Spain with fierce determination as she orchestrates the bringing of the great castrato Farinelli to Spain from England to help heal through music her husband (King Philippe V/Mark Rylance) from mental illness. And underneath that determination, is an aching vulnerability. Ms. Grove’s performance is heartbreaking and immediately identifiable — a woman who sacrifices her own needs for that of her husband and her country. As if we were having a chat over a cup of tea, Ms. Grove graciously answered a few questions v …Read more