Gina McKee is to replace Tara Fitzgerald in the cast of The Lover and The Collection, due to open at the Comedy theatre on 29 January (previews from 15 January).
The production, which was only announced last week, was due to star Fitzgerald alongside Richard Coyle, Charlie Cox and Timothy West, but Fitzgerald has withdrawn after contracting a serious bronchial infection.
McKee is a familiar face on our screens thanks to her BAFTA-winning performance in TV series Our Friends In The North and roles in films Notting Hill, Joan Of Arc, Atonement, and the recent film And When Did You Last See Your Father? On the stage she has credits including Aristocrats at the National Theatre and Old Times at the Donmar Warehouse.
The Lover and The Collection are two dark comedies by Harold Pinter which explore sexual power games, adultery and dark desires. The Lover stars McKee and Coyle as Sarah and Richard, a suburban couple who unlock their desires behind closed doors. The Collection features all four actors playing two couples who fall victim to suspicion and jealousy when their sexual power games stifle the truth about one lost night in a Leeds hotel room.
The Lover and The Collection are booking until 3 May. em>CB