Francesca Annis will join the cast of Peter Gill’s self-directed play Versailles when it receives its world premiere at the Donmar Warehouse next year.
The new play, which plays from 20 February to 5 April at the Covent Garden venue, marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, draws startling connections between this pivotal moment in history and the world as it is today.
Annis, who returns to the venue following performances in Henry IV and The Vortex, most recently appeared on the London stage in Time And The Conways at the National Theatre. Her forthcoming appearance at the Donmar Warehouse reunites the actress with writer and director Gill, who directed her in his 1981 production of A Month In The Country. On screen, Annis has appeared in hit series including Cranford and Deceit.
Also joining the previously announced Barbara Flynn, Gwilym Lee, Helen Bradbury, Tom Hughes, Tamla Kari, Josh O’Connor, Simon Williams and Eleanor Yates are stage veteran Christopher Godwin, whose recent credits include James Graham’s Olivier Award nominated play This House at the National Theatre, Being Human’s Selena Griffiths, who returns to the Donmar Warehouse following her performance in Hotel In Amsterdam, star of Laura Wade’s hit drama Posh, Edward Killingback, most recently seen in the Low Road at the Royal Court, and Adrian Lukis, whose London theatre credits include The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic.
Set amongst a middle-class English family in Kent, whose son is in Paris at the negotiations of the famous treaty, Versailles will be accompanied by a series of events, which brings together highly respected names including Shami Chakrabarti, A C Grayling, Max Hastings, Susie Orbach and Ahdaf Soueif to examine the different parts of the historical legacy.
The production will open at the Covent Garden venue following Tom Hiddleston’s return to the London stage in Coriolanus, which begins previews later this week.