Zoë Wanamaker will return to the West End next year to star in David Leveaux’s production of Peter Nichols’ black comedy Passion Play.
Playing from 1 May (press night 7 May) at the Duke of York’s theatre, Passion Play combines humour, eroticism and duplicity to tell the story of long term couple James and Eleanor whose lives are turned upside down when James agrees to a secret rendezvous with their recently widowed friend Kate.
The double Olivier Award-winning star of My Family and the Harry Potter films, whose appearance in Leveaux’s 1997 production of Electra at the Donmar Warehouse won her the second of her prestigious accolades, has enjoyed an extensive stage career starring in productions including the National Theatre’s The Cherry Orchard, All My Sons opposite David Suchet and Once In A Lifetime, for which she collected her first Olivier Award in 1979.
Five-time Tony Award-nominee Leveaux has previously worked on productions of Arcadia, Jumpers, Through A Glass Darkly featuring Carey Mulligan, Simon Gray’s The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar Warehouse starring Helen McCrory and Robert Glenister and the Juliette Binoche-led Betrayal on Broadway.
Nichols’ other plays include A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg, The National Health and Privates On Parade, which will receive a major revival at the Noël Coward theatre later this year as part of the newly formed Michael Grandage Company’s first season.
Passion Play will open at the Duke of York’s theatre following the West End transfer of David Hare’s The Judas Kiss starring Rupert Everett and Freddie Fox, which plays from 9 January to 6 April.