In his first West End stage appearance in nearly three decades, John Malkovich plays a Hollywood producer with a history to hide in Bitter Wheat, written and directed by David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross).

Tickets are sure to be in hot demand for Malkovich’s return, which will see him portray top dog Barney Fein – corrupt Hollywood mogul and predatory studio head, whose notoriety within show business goes before him – in this new play, which promises drama and dark comedy in abundance at the Garrick Theatre.

Bitter Wheat transports audiences to an envisaged Hollywood hell hole, where everything is for sale – except the awards, which are only to rent. The show will explore the monstrous Barney Fein’s fall from power to worldwide shame, with a helping of chaos and comedy.

The show was previously referred to by Mamet in an interview last year, when he revealed that he had written a new play about the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal. Mamet previously won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for the success of Glengarry Glen Ross; the play was recently revived in the West End in 2017 starring Christian Slater. Mamet’s previous works also include the iconic film with Bitter Wheat’s star, Being John Malkovich, as well as revered plays Sexual Perversity In Chicago, American Buffalo, Speed-The-Plow, and Oleanna.

Malkovich, meanwhile, is a Hollywood star best known for the aforementioned Being John Malkovich, as well as Dangerous Liaisons, Con Air, Mulholland Drive, and the recent BBC TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.

Bitter Wheat will also star Doon Mackichan – best known for creating and starring in Channel 4’s comedy series Smack The Pony – as Barney Fein’s assistant Sondra, and Ioanna Kimbook in her debut theatre performance as Yung Kum Li. The Bitter Wheat cast also includes Alexander Arnold as Roberto, Teddy Kempner as Doctor Wald, Matthew Pidgeon as The Writer and Zephryn Taitte as Charles Arthur Brown.

Bitter Wheat tickets are now available.