Andrew Scott, David Tennant, Damian Lewis and 12 other TV stars taking to the stage
Tamsin Greig, Griff Rhys Jones and Lee Mack will also be treading the boards in the next couple of months
There’s nothing like a night of live theatre – just ask the TV stars who can’t keep away. David Tennant, Damian Lewis and Andrew Scott are just a few of the familiar faces taking to the stage in 2017.
ANDREW SCOTT in Hamlet
Last year Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet became the fastest-selling show in London theatre history; now his Sherlock nemesis is taking on Shakespeare’s tragic hero. Juliet Stevenson will play Gertrude and Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay is Ophelia.
Almeida, London, 17 February—8 April, almeida.co.uk
DAVID TENNANT in Don Juan in Soho
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The ex-Doctor is swapping detective work in Broadchurch for debauchery in London. Patrick Marber’s savagely funny and filthy update of Molière’s tragicomedy transports the 17th-century lothario to contemporary Soho, where he cuts a swathe through its trendy hotels and seedy alleys.
Wyndham’s Theatre, London, 17 March—10 June
DAMIAN LEWIS in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
Lewis stars alongside Sophie Okonedo in Edward Albee’s pitch-black comedy about an architect who falls in love with a goat, much to the chagrin of his wife. It’s the second Albee revival since the influential US playwright died last September: Imelda Staunton takes the lead in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Harold Pinter Theatre in February.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 24 March—24 June
GRIFF RHYS JONES and LEE MACK in The Miser
In Molière’s farce, Rhys Jones plays an old skinflint determined to hang on to his money and hopes his children will find rich partners. He’s joined by Mathew Horne and comedian Lee Mack, who’s making his West End debut.
Theatre Royal, Bath, 8–18 February; Richmond Theatre, 21–25 February; Garrick Theatre, London, 1 March—3 June
Book tickets for Don Juan in Soho and The Miser from the Radio Times Box Office
TAMSIN GREIG in Twelfth Night
Greig is taking time out from LA sitcom Episodes to appear in Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities. But this is Twelfth Night with a gender-bending twist: she will play one of the male roles, Olivia’s puritanical housekeeper Malvolio (now Malvolia).
National Theatre, London, 15 February—17 April. nationaltheatre.org.uk
RUFUS SEWELL in Art
Peep Show’s Tim Key and Friday Night Dinner’s Paul Ritter star alongside Victoria’s sexy Lord Melbourne in this smart French comedy. It’s about three longstanding friends whose relationship is threatened by their differing opinions about a controversial painting.
The Old Vic, London, until 18 February. oldvictheatre.com
TOM HOLLANDER in Travesties
A hilarious revival of Tom Stoppard’s mind-boggling 1974 play, which is set in Zurich during the First World War. Hollander plays English diplomat Henry Carr, who begins to muddle up famous acquaintances – Lenin, James Joyce and the founder of Dada – with characters from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Apollo Theatre, London, 3 February—29 April
Book tickets for The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? and Travesties from the Radio Times Box Office
MARK ADDY and CAROLINE QUENTIN in The Hypocrite
Hull is 2017’s City of Culture and this new comedy from the Royal Shakespeare Company is part of a year-long programme of festivities. Mark Addy plays hapless Sir John Hotham, who has been given the job of securing the arsenal at Hull for King Charles I, but is hampered by his anxious wife (Quentin), his lovesick daughter and a ghost.
Hull Truck Theatre, 24 February—25 March; Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 31 March—29 April. rsc.org.uk
To book tickets, call RT Box Office on 0800 096 5878 quoting Radio Times or visit radiotimes.com/boxoffice, or check the websites for the shows listed.
For theatre reviews from RT, go to radiotimes.com/westend
