Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is swapping her dragons for a seagull as she makes her West End debut in a fresh take on Chekhov. Clarke will play Nina, the ambitious ingenue at the heart of 1896 play The Seagull.
The show is the second production in a starry three-play West End residency from the Jamie Lloyd Company. The season began with a bravura take on Cyrano de Bergerac with James McAvoy and will end with Jessica Chastain playing Nora in a new version of A Doll's House. The emphasis is on famous actors and bold re-interpretations of classic plays.
With Anya Reiss adapting, Jamie Lloyd directing and Emilia Clarke bringing star power, this new interpretation of The Seagull promises to 'propel Chekhov’s tale of ambition, love, loneliness and fame into the 21st century'.
Enthusing about the project, Clarke said: 'I’ve long been a fan of the singular vision [Jamie Lloyd] brings to each of his masterful productions and the way he approaches classical texts. We are so lucky to be working with Anya’s brilliant adaptation, as she brings a light touch of modernity to this beautifully crafted play.'
Set in an isolated country house, the play follows an ageing actress, a young women hungry for fame, a young man struck by love and a unsatisfied but successful writer. As hope grows futile, and proximity breeds bitterness, the tensions between the characters become insurmountable.
Themes of futility and frustration give The Seagull modern resonance so it will be thrilling to see how the play translates into a 21st-century setting.
Tickets for The Seagull are now on sale. Click here to book.
| What | The Seagull, Playhouse Theatre |
| Where | Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5DE | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Embankment (underground) |
| Price | £15 - £100+ |
| Website | Click here for more information and to book |
