Elizabeth Debicki to become first woman to play Richard II at the RSC

The 36‑year‑old Emmy‑winner will star in a new production running from April 10 to May 22, 2027, with co‑artistic directors praising her vulnerability and courage.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:12:24 GMT

Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, 36, will make her Royal Shakespeare Company debut in 2027 playing a gender‑swapped Richard II, becoming the first woman to take the title role, Standard reported.

What happened

The new production, directed by Daniel Raggett, is scheduled to run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 10 April to 22 May 2027. Raggett’s recent RSC credits include the 2025 productions of Macbeth (featuring Sam Heughan and Lia Williams at The Other Place) and Edward II at the Swan Theatre.

What the reports add

Debicki is an Emmy‑ and Golden‑Globe‑winning actress.
One Standard article highlights her role in The Great Gatsby, while the other notes her appearance in The Night Manager.
She will be the first female in RSC history to play Richard II, a role previously performed by David Tennant, Sir Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Irons, Michael Redgrave, Sam West, Alan Howard and others.
The co‑artistic directors of the RSC are Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.
The RSC’s Summer 2027 programme will feature four Shakespeare plays and two world‑premiere adaptations inspired by novels from Virginia Woolf and Susanna Clarke, opening with Coriolanus starring Damien Molony.

What was said

“Having admired Elizabeth’s work on stage and on screen, and her ability to match immense vulnerability with deep courage, we are hugely excited by the prospect of her playing Richard at the RSC,” said co‑artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, Standard.

“Both are fascinated by what this play might reveal to us about leadership and the tension that exists between the symbolic roles we occupy in public and our private selves,” the directors added, Standard.

Raggett said: “It is beyond my wildest dreams to be returning to the RSC for a third time, and I feel incredibly proud and grateful. Personally, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey have done so much to guide me and champion my work. They have made the RSC a home where I can realise my most ambitious ideas, whilst nurturing my craft and providing me with the platform to collaborate with the absolute best, most diligent and skilled artists and craftspeople.”, Standard.

How it came about

Debicki’s casting follows a series of high‑profile portrayals of Princess Diana, including the upcoming auction of Diana’s “revenge dress” (see Felo coverage) and a new biography by Charles Spencer (see Felo coverage). The RSC’s decision to gender‑swap the monarch reflects a broader trend of re‑imagining classic roles for contemporary audiences.

Key facts

Elizabeth Debicki will play Richard II at the RSC in 2027 (standard.co.uk)
The production runs from 10 April to 22 May 2027 (standard.co.uk)
Debicki is the first woman to play the titular role at the RSC (standard.co.uk)
Co‑artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey praised her casting (standard.co.uk)