Hold onto your hats, Eurofans – looks like the London rumours were true! Here’s what the Daily Mail is saying …
The comic talents of Joanna Lumley and David Hyde Pierce will be on show in the West End in the spring. The pair will join Mark Rylance (currently giving the performance of his career – and the best to be seen in London – in Jerusalem at the Apollo) in a revival of David Hirson’s comedy drama La Bete. The play will run for a limited season of eight to ten weeks in London before transferring to New York in the autumn.
La Bete, which is set in 17th century France, will mark Ms Lumley’s Broadway debut. She is well known in the US thanks to classic series Absolutely Fabulous, in which she played substance-challenged fashion editor Patsy Stone. Pierce played Niles in the long-running US sitcom Frasier. The actor was at the Sundance Film Festival and was telling friends how thrilled he was to be appearing on the London stage.
La Bete, about clownish conflict within a theatre troupe, played in New York in 1990, but didn’t fare well. However, a later London production, led by Alan Cumming, won an Olivier award. The new production will be directed by Matthew Warchus and will probably go to the Comedy Theatre.
Exciting times! Love that cartoon!
Absolutely fabulous news!
:-)
This is sooooo great! Absolutely Fabulous is one of my favourite show. Patsy rocks!!!!!!!
OMG!I’m actually SO excited!!I can’t wait to hear when he’s actually gonna be here!!I keep checking the news to see if he’s doing anything in NY around April coz I’ll be there then, but if he’s gonna come to the West End-well,that’s just utterly brilliant!!:D We should have a “Show Person” meeting then!!!
Well people….. pack your bags, it looks like we’re going to London!
Some more info at Playbill. Hmm, I’m guessing David will be “the foppish, frivolous street entertainer Valere”?
Interesting that Matthew Warchus directed God of Carnage – I saw it a few months ago and it’s brilliant.
Also – Variety expects an official announcement by the producers in the next week or so, with the West End run likely to happen in June or July. Woop woop!
Playbill’s Theatre Week in Review column has some interesting discussion of La Bete and the new production’s prospects.