The celebrated director Michael Grandage has declared this as a vibrant time for London Theatre. It’s hard to disagree.
Following the announcement that Kenneth Branagh is importing the stars of his latest film, CINDERELLA, to play ROMEO AND JULIET at the Garrick Theatre this year, Grandage has announced that he’ll bring Nicole Kidman, the star of his new film GENIUS, to London Theatre too.
Kidman, of course, is a major A-list Hollywood star, her extensive film work includes TO DIE FOR, DAYS OF THUNDER, MOULIN ROUGE!, THE OTHERS, THE HOURS, COLD MOUNTAIN, RABBIT HOLE, THE PAPERBOY and let’s not forget PADDINGTON.
But she’s also an experienced stage actress too. The last time she appeared in London, at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, in THE BLUE ROOM, a play exploring various sexual couplings, the Telegraph’s Theatre critic described her as “Theatrical Viagra”.
It’s typical of the innovative Michael Grandage that he’s chosen to direct her in what promises to be a fascinating and intelligent piece of new writing rather than a tired old classical star vehicle.
Kidman will play Rosalind Franklin, the woman who first successfully decoded human D.N.A in the UK première of Anna Ziegler’s award-winning play PHOTOGRAPH 51. Zeigler asks the audience to consider what Franklin sacrificed in the pursuit of science and a place in history as she races her fellow boffins to crack the molecular secrets that define who we are.
Ziegler’s only other play to appear in London was in a tiny fringe venue but she can boast of a glittering track record in America where her work has been performed at many of the country’s most respected venues.
Grandage’s work is well known to West End theatre goers from his multi-award winning seasons of work at the Donmar and his company’s residency at the Noel Coward Theatre on St Martin’s Lane. Later this year the one woman show he created for Dawn French will come in to London after its regional tour.
He and his producers are dedicated to making quality theatre as accessible to as many people as possible promising affordable tickets in all parts of the Noel Coward Theatre so snap them up as soon as possible. There’s bound to be huge demand.
Nicole Kidman gives her first performance on 5th September at Noel Coward Theatre ahead of the press night on 14 September 2015 at 7pm. The production runs until 21 November 2015.
It has been announced that Kenneth Branagh will helm a year-long season of plays in the West End. The star of stage and screen will direct and act in the season due to open at the Garrick Theatre in October 2016.