Kelly Price, Nicholas Le Prevost and Chuk Iwuji have joined the weighty cast of Molière’s The Misanthrope, which opens at the Comedy theatre on 17 December (previews from 7 December).
The trio will appear alongside stage regulars Damian Lewis, Tara Fitzgerald, Dominic Rowan and Tim McMullan, as well as British film star Keira Knightley, who is making her West End debut in Thea Sharrock’s production.
Price ventures into straight drama after making her name in musical theatre. Since playing Sarah Brown in Guys And Dolls at the Piccadilly theatre she has gone on to star in the musicals Chicago, Desperately Seeking Susan and the recent Menier Chocolate Factory revival of A Little Night Music.
Experienced stage actor Le Prevost was most recently seen at Trafalgar Studios in the stage version of Simon Gray’s memoirs, The Last Cigarette. His many London stage credits also include Peter Hall’s productions of Uncle Vanya and Bedroom Farce at the Rose theatre, Kingston, The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic and the National Theatre production of My Fair Lady.
Completing the cast, Iwuji was most recently seen at the National Theatre in The Observer and last year appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s History Cycle, which played an award-winning season at London’s Roundhouse.
Martin Crimp’s adaptation of Molière’s comedy transports the action from 17th century Paris to modern day London, where famous British playwright Alceste vows to reject society after becoming disillusioned with the hypocrisy and shallowness of the contemporary world. But he doesn’t bank on falling in love with ambitious American film star Jennifer.
The Misanthrope is booking at the Comedy theatre until 13 March 2010.
CB