The Bridge Project was a unique three year transatlantic collaboration (2009 - 2012) developed by Neal Street Productions, The Old Vic, London and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, introducing a single Anglo-American company each year, performing double-bills of classic works, directed by Sam Mendes. 

The inaugural year of The Bridge Project paired a new version of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard written by Tom Stoppard with Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

The second year paired The Tempest with As You Like It. 

In the final year Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey played the title role of Richard III.

Each year these productions embarked on major international tours, produced in association with Joseph Melillo, AD of BAM. The Winters Tale and Richard III each played Epidaurus to audiences of over 12,000.

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Key Creatives & Cast

Key Creatives:
Directed by Sam Mendes
Designed by Anthony Ward, Tom Piper
Costumes by Catherine Zuber
Lighting by Paul Pyant
Music by Mark Bennett, Harvey Borough
Music Directed by Curtis Moore, Stephen Bentley Klein, Dan Lipton
Sound by Gareth Fry, Simon Baker, Paul Arditti
Choreography by Josh Prince
Artistic Associate: Gaye Taylor Upchurch
Associate Directed by Bruce Guthrie
Casting by Maggie Lunn, Daniel Swee, Nancy Piccione

Cast:
Year 1 Cast: Simon Russell Beale, Sinéad Cusack, Ethan Hawke and Rebecca Hall

Year 2 Cast: Stephen Dillane, Juliet Rylance and Christian Camargo

Year 3 Cast: Kevin Spacey, Haydn Gwynne and Annabel Scholey

Productions

Old Vic Theatre, London

The Cherry Orchard 23rd May - 15th August, 2009 
The Winters Tale 23rd May - 15th August, 2009
The Tempest 12th June - 24th August, 2010
As You Like It 12th June - 24th August, 2010
Richard III 18th June - 11th September, 2011

Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York

The Cherry Orchard 3rd January - 8th March, 2009
The Winter's Tale 10th February - 8th March, 2009
The Tempest 14th February - 13th March, 2010
As You Like It 12th January - 13th March, 2010
Richard III 10th January - 4th March, 2012

Reviews

“This double-bill that inaugurates the transatlantic Bridge Project is highly impressive. Together these artfully twinned productions prove the whole Mendes project is definitely not a bridge too far.”

The Guardian

"The cast finds that joyful alliance of transatlantic talent which is the aim of The Bridge Project….” 

The Times

“It’s now 12 years since Spacey and Mendes joined forces as actor and director. Mendes’ new eclectically modern dress production of Richard III demonstrates that it has been worth the wait.”

The Independent