Alexander Siddig to Star in ‘Holy Warriors’ in London’s West End

We can finally reveal Alexander Siddig’s next project: the lead in David Eldridge’s new play, Holy Warriors. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London officially announced the cast today; Sid plays Saladin, the iconic leader of Islamic army struggling to retain control of Jerusalem during the Crusades.

You may recall that in the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven, Sid played Imad, right-hand of Saladin played by Ghassan Massoud. The film followed the story from the Christian/English side; now Sid will be part of a production exploring it from the Islamic/Middle Eastern side.

Official synopsis:

Saladin’s great army have corrected a great wrong by taking Jerusalem back for Islam, after the barbaric slaughter of their people one hundred years ago. But for Muslim and Christian alike Jerusalem is a Holy City. Across England and Outremer, nobles answer the call to arms from Richard the Lionheart to march on Jerusalem in the third crusade and retake the Holy City from Saladin.

Written by David Eldridge (Festen, In Basildon), Holy Warriors is a tale of holy war, fraught diplomacy and revenge in the struggle for Jerusalem, taking in over a millennia of bloody conflict, as Richard the Lionheart marches east to face Saladin, and take Jerusalem.

Additional cast members include Daniel Rabin as King Guy of Jerusalem; Geraldine Alexander as Eleanor of Aquitaine; Ignatius Anthony as Reynald of Chatillon; John Hopkins as Richard the Lionheart; Jonathan Bonnici as Al-Afdal; Jolyon Coy as Philip of France; Kammy Darweish as Al-Din; Sean Murray as Balian/Pope Urban III; and Sirine Saba as Berengaria of Navarre/ Queen Sibylla.

Holy Warriors begins its run at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on July 19. Tickets are on sale now.