 |  | The excitment mounts within the RSC ahead of the new Winter Season, for not only is it the first with Michael Boyd at the helm but it will also feature two of the world’s most acclaimed actors.
Dame Judi Dench and Sir Antony Sher are taking centre stage in the 2003-04 Winter Season, which features All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello and the annual Christmas family adventure, Beauty and the Beast.
Dame Judi’s return to the fold of the RSC marks something of a coup for new artistic director Boyd, for the Oscar-winning actress has not performed with the company for more than ten years and has not appeared in Stratford since Cymbeline in 1979.
|  | New artistic director Michael Boyd |
Her RSC performances of Shakespeare's leading characters during the 60s and 70s are still regarded by many people today as definitive, such as Viola, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Titania.
Most recently, she has combined her acclaimed stage and television work with international film roles including Iris Murdoch in Iris, her Oscar-winning portrayal of Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love as well as being introduced to a completely new generation through her role as M in the recent James Bond films.
Dame Judi makes her debut at the Swan theatre as Countess Rossillio in the bitter-sweet comedy and has already proved to be a major draw, with most of the tickets for the two-month run already having been sold, so get in fast!
When it finishes its Stratford run, All’s Well will transfer to the Gielgud Theatre for a limited season.
 He was awarded the Evening Standard Peter Sellers Award for his performance in the film Mrs Brown.  | | |
RSC associate actor, Sir Antony Sher, meanwhile, will be hoping his Iago in 2004’s Othello will be bringing him the same kind of acclaim afforded after his recent performances in Macbeth, The Roman Actor and The Malcontent, which were nothing short of superb.
Sher's association with the company spans more than 20 years.
|  | Sir Antony in The Malcontent in 2002 |
He has taken a number of high-profile roles, all of them hailed by critics, including Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and a ground-breaking, multi award-winning portrayal of Richard III.
Other theatre work included the title role in Stanley (National Theatre) which transferred to Broadway, earning him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor.
He was also awarded the Evening Standard Peter Sellers Award for his performance in the film Mrs Brown.
Joining him is South African actor Sello Maake ka Ncube, who is appearing with the RSC for the first time but he starred alongside Sher in 1995, in Gregory Doran’s production of Titus Andronicus in Johannesburg.
|  | Beauty and the Beast is this year's Christmas production |
Beauty and the Beast is a fantastic adaptation of the classic fairy tale, brought bang-up-to-date by writer and director Laurence Boswell with a number of special surprises.
For a preview of Beauty and the Beast, including an interview with Laurence Boswell, click here or use the link on the left.
Beauty and the Beast runs at the RST from 29 November until 22 February.
All’s Well That Ends Well runs at the Swan from 3 December until 7 February.
Othello runs at the Swan from 11 February until 3 April.
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