Cate Blanchett is set to return to the London stage next spring, it has been revealed.
Blanchett will star as Arkadina in a new version of Anton Chekhov’s seminal play The Seagull, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier. She is set to be joined by Tom Burke (Mad Max: Furiosa), with the pair recently working together on Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming 2025 film Black Bag.
Ostermeier, who previously staged a version of The Seagull last year, will direct the show, which runs at the Barbican Theatre for a strictly limited six-week season from February 2025. He said today: “I have known and admired Cate for many years, and to see her on stage is always a privilege. I am thrilled that we will make our first artistic collaboration with this production of The Seagull at the Barbican, and that London will experience this once in a generation actress in one of the greatest theatrical roles of Arkadina. I’m also very pleased to be forging a new artistic relationship with Tom Burke, who will play the role of Trigorin.”
Tickets start at £20, and for every performance there are over 100 tickets at that price. They will be available from 10am on 7 October for Barbican Patrons, 4pm on 7 October for Barbican Members Plus, 10am on 8 October for standard Barbican Members and 12pm on 8 October for Wessex Grove’s (one of the co-producers) priority list. General on-sale will be on 9 October at 10am, though it is probably easy to work out the best way to get a seat for what will surely be an incredibly popular show.
Blanchett previously appeared on the Barbican stage in 2012, following a transfer of Sydney Theatre Company’s version of Botho Strauss’ Big and Small (Gross und Klein), adapted by Martin Crimp with direction from Benedict Andrews.
Full cast, creative team and show dates will be revealed ahead of the on-sale.