Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sir Kenneth Branagh is one of the highest profile actors and directors in contemporary British stage and screen.

Praised for his film adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays, his directorial debut was Henry V.  More recently he has directed Murder on the Orient Express and Cinderella and performed in Dunkirk and My Week with Marilyn.

With a stage career in acting and directing spanning from 1982, he recently presented a season of seven shows at London’s Garrick Theatre, including Red Velvet, as part of the inaugural season of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company.

In 2012 he received a knighthood, in 2015 he became the President of Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and in 2017 he received the Special Olivier Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to British theatre.

Sir Derek Jacobi is a multi-award winning actor. Born in Essex, England, he has led prolific acting career over the five past decades and is considered as one of Britain’s most distinguished performers.

His achievements range from becoming one of the founding members of the National Theatre under Laurence Olivier, to winning two Olivier Awards for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac and Twelfth Night.

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1985, made a member of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog in 1989 and knighted in 1994 for his services to the theatre.

As close collaborators, he has performed in five films directed by Kenneth Branagh: Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), Hamlet (1996), Cinderella (2015) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017).