Watch out for . . .

JOHN MAcMillAN (below), who will play the unscrupulous warrior Edmund, who causes havoc between his father, the Earl of Gloucester and halfbrother Edgar, in the BBc’s new King lear. it’s the last important role to be cast for richard Eyre’s modern military dress version, starring Anthony Hopkins as the king who carves up his kingdom for his three daughters to be played (as i told you a while back) by Emma thompson, Emily Watson and Florence Pugh. Jim Broadbent will play Gloucester; Andrew Scott, Edgar; and Jim carter the loyal Kent. christopher Eccleston has been cast as Oswald. Macmillan is currently appearing in the young Vic’s electrifying production of yerma, starring Billie Piper. i remember seeing him for the first time in tarell Alvin Mccraney’s in the red And Brown Water; and i’ve caught him in several other plays, including Jamie lloyd’s production of the Homecoming. though he has landed some good film and television parts, Eyre casting him as Edmund is a big deal. it doesn’t hurt that this lear is being produced by star-makers colin callender and Sonia Friedman. Stockard channing, Freema agyeman and Laura carmichael, who are excellent in the scorching revival of alexi kaye campbell’s play apologia, about a radical agitprop mother (channing, centre right) who tries to interfere in her sons’ relationships with their girlfriends (carmichael, near right, and agyeman, far right). it’s directed with a sure hand by Jamie Lloyd at trafalgar Studios. campbell told me that in his original script, channing’s character kristin was a Brit. But he changed her nationality to american, and re-jigged the play accordingly. channing comes from the theatre, so she’s comfortable and in control; as are carmichael and agyeman. Joseph Millson and desmond Barrit hold their own, too.