Kidman Hankers After London Town & Theatre???

There's been much talk in the press this week about Hollywood's Nicole Kidman possibly relocating to London. Apparently, she's moving out of the Los Angeles home she once shared with ex-husband Tom Cruise and is now looking to settle in a safer city to bring up their two children. She's spoken previously about her love for London, where she spent a lot of time while filming Eyes Wide Shut and performing in Sam Mendes' 1998 Donmar production of The Blue Room. But what theatregoers really want to know is, when is Kidman going to commit to a UK stage project? There have been rumours galore for years of her appearing back at the Donmar (at one point mooted to star in Mendes' farewell double bill of Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night) and at the National in Trevor Nunn's production of Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea. The latter will now be seen at the Almeida in April, and speculation has continued that Kidman will finally figure in it, though no casting has been announced (See News, 9 Dec 2002). Speaking in today's Daily Mail, the Australian actress has again been pining for the London stage, encouraged by the high thesp count on her latest Oscar-tipped film release, The Hours, which was scripted by playwright David Hare, directed by former Royal Court chief Stephen Daldry and which co-starred Olivier winner Stephen Dillane. In addition to Daldry and Mendes, Kidman has now named another young British stage director she'd like to work with: up-and-comer Katie Mitchell. According to Kidman, "I've seen her work and I'd love to work with her. I want Sammy Mendes, Stephen Daldry and Katie to know I'm looking for something to do in London, either at the end of this year or early next. I love being in London - I could easily move there." Mitchell's next major project is a new mounting come late summer/autumn 2003 of Chekhov's Three Sisters at the NT Lyttelton (See News, 23 Jan 2003). Could Kidman be in the frame for that? Although NT artistic director-designate Nicholas Hytner has boycotted celebrity casting gimmicks at the South Bank, Kidman's name would certainly put that production on a par with another Three Sisters - starring Kristin Scott Thomas - which has been scheduled for the West End's Playhouse this spring (See Today's News).

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