A JACOBEAN tragedy about to open at Stratford has a theme which might easily relate to the present day rather than 400 hundred years ago.

"The play deals with a society morally and ethically lost in a sea of consumerism, deceit, lust and envy. It is led by a man totally absorbed in the satisfaction of his own desires. It therefore has a lot to say about life in today's Britain!" says RSC director Laurence Boswell of Thomas Middleton's Women Beware Women.

Considered one of the greatest Jacobean tragedies, Middleton's cautionary tale exposing the tragic results of corrupted lives and materialism, was based on an historical incident from 16th century Italy.

The RSC's production of Middleton's collaboration with Philip Massinger and William Rowley, A New Way To Please You, received ecstatic reviews in Stratford and London last year.

Penelope Wilton plays the scheming widow Livia. Her last appearance at the RSC was as Madame Arkadina in Adrian Noble's production of the Seagull (Swan/Barbican 2000) and she will be familiar to television audiences in shows such as Ever Decreasing Circles, and from the new series of Dr Who, in which she plays the Prime Minister.

Tim Pigott-Smith plays the Duke of Florence. Tim is an associate artist and a board member of the RSC and his recent stage work includes Jonathan Kent's Hecuba for the Donmar Warehouse, Mourning Becomes Electra for the National Theatre and Ed Hall's production of Julius Caesar for the RSC in 2001.

Hayley Atwell makes her RSC debut as Bianca. Hayley will soon appear in Andrew Davies' adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst's Man Booker Award-winning novel, The Line of Beauty for the BBC.

Boswell adds: "We see four young people initiated into the rotten world of their fathers, who collaborate in their own spiritual destruction. It's hilarious, tragic and savagely ironic all in the same moment, and I think it has a sensibility that will make sense to today's audiences."

Women Beware Women will be at The Swan Theatre from Thursday, February 16 until Saturday, April 1. Box office: 0870 609 1110 or www.rsc.org.uk.