War And Peace star James Norton will return to the London stage opposite Olivier Award nominee Kate Fleetwood in a 20th anniversary revival of Tracy Letts’ seminal play Bug next month.
The high profile pair will take to one of London’s newest and hottest stages, as Simon Evans returns to direct the piece at Found111, the venue for the recent acclaimed hit The Dazzle starring Andrew Scott.
The pop-up theatre, founded on the original iconic site of Central Saint Martin’s School of Art, will be transformed into a seedy Oklahoma motel room for the August: Osage County playwright’s powerful drama.
An exploration of two people on the edge, Bug tells the story of a lonely cocktail waitress holed up from her violent ex-con ex-husband, seeking solace in drink and drugs until a stranger unexpectedly turns up in her life and the lines of reality and delusion become blurred.
Bug will give audiences the chance to see two of this year’s most successful actors up close and person in the intimate venue. While Grantchester star Norton is riding the wave of television stardom following the BBC’s hugely popular series War And Peace and Happy Valley, in which he recently returned as Tommy Lee Royce in the much anticipated second series, he is no stranger to the stage having appeared in the Royal Court Theatre’s Posh and West End productions of Journey’s End and The Lion In Winter.
Fleetwood, who eagled-eyed fans will have spotted in the recent Star Wars film, and also appeared in War And Peace, has had an equally incredible year on stage. She led Maria Friedman’s triumphant revival of High Society at The Old Vic and starred in the Almeida’s striking production of Medea.
Bug will play a limited six week season at Found111 from 24 March to 7 May with further casting to be announced.