Jessica Chastain in A Doll's House, Playhouse Theatre

Golden Globe winner Jessica Chastain will swap the big screen for the London stage to make her UK theatre debut in a production of A Doll's House.

Known around the world for playing strong-willed women in hit films including Molly's Game, X-Men and Zero Dark Thirty, Chastain has also proven her talents on Broadway in Othello, The Cherry Orchard and The Heiress.

In summer 2020 she will play Nora in a new version of Henrik Ibsen's proto-feminist 1879 play, A Doll's House, as part of director Jamie Lloyd's year-long residency at the Playhouse Theatre. Commenting on the announcement, Lloyd said:

'Our aim is to work with the most exceptional actors in the world, offering them new and unexpected challenges. Jessica Chastain is a gifted artist and is, of course, well known and respected for her extraordinary screen performances. However, I’m delighted she is now returning to the stage – where her career began – in this bold reappraisal of Ibsen’s great masterpiece.”

Irish playwright and esteemed adaptor Frank McGuiness will re-work Ibsen's text for the new production. With themes of frustration and female empowerment, A Doll's House has rich potential for contemporary relevance. The story of a dissatisfied, secretive housewife who abandons her family for independence caused a controversy when it opened, and continues to resonate all around the world on its regular revivals.

With a Hollywood star playing the compelling part of Nora, this production of A Doll's House is set to cause a stir.

As part of a commitment to making theatre more accessible and democratic, The Jamie Lloyd Theatre Company in partnership with British Airways, will offer 15,000 free tickets and 15,000 £15 tickets across the season. These tickets will be for under-30s, key workers and those receiving certain government benefits.