Rosmersholm, Henrik Ibsen’s classic examination of a country in state of political flux has been adapted by Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things, 1984, Every Brilliant Thing). The sharply prescient play will be directed by Ian Rickson (Jerusalem, The Birthday Party, Translations).
‘‘Now I see that love is selfish. It makes you a country of two. At war with the rest of the world.”
An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm is Rosmersholm, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer – a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past.
The role of John Rosmer will be played by Tom Burke who was recently seen on the London stage in The Deep Blue Sea at the National Theatre and Reasons to Be Happy at Hampstead Theatre. He is best known for playing the lead role in Strike, the BBC television adaptation of the Cormoran Strike novels by JK Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Other notable television roles include Athos in the BBC series The Musketeers and Dolokhov in the BBC literary-adaptation miniseries War and Peace. His latest film, The Souvenir, premiered at this year’s Sundance Festival.
Hayley Atwell will play the role of Rebecca West. A prolific actress across stage, TV and film, her most recent theatre work includes Measure for Measure at the Donmar, Dry Powder at Hampstead Theatre and The Pride at Trafalgar Studios. She won great acclaim for her performances in the BBC adaptations of Howards End and The Long Song last year. Widely known as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and subsequent TV series Agent Carter, she also starred in The Duchess, Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella and most recently Christopher Robin. Her latest film Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha and based on the book by Sarfraz Manzoor premiered at Sundance 2019.
Rosmersholm is at The Duke of York’s Theatre 24th April – 20th July 2019.
