Scott Thomas Leads Cast of Rickson’s Betrayal

Famously played backwards in time, Betrayal – one of Pinter’s most oft-revived plays – traces a seven-year affair between art gallery owner Emma and literary agent Jerry, the best friend of her publisher husband Robert, from its poignant end to its first illicit kiss.

Premiered at the National Theatre in 1978 with a cast comprising Daniel Massey, Michael Gambon and Penelope Wilton the production was last seen in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2007, where it starred Dervla Kirwan and Samuel West. David Jones directed the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated film adaptation of the piece in 1983 with Patricia Hodge, Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley.

Tickets for the production at the Comedy go on sale today (5 April) with bookings initially being taken through until 20 August 2011.

Scott Thomas, a two-time Whatsonstage.com Award winner for her performances in Jonathan Kent’s As You Desire Me and Michael Blakemore’s Three Sisters both at the Playhouse, was last seen on stage playing Arkadina in Rickson’s 2008 production of The Seagull at the Royal Court Theatre for which she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress. She went on to reprise the role on Broadway the following year. Her extensive film credits include Nowhere Boy, Easy Virtue, The Other Boleyn Girl, Gosford Park, The Horse Whisperer, The English Patient, Mission Impossible, Angels & Insects and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Douglas Henshall is best known on television for playing Nick Cutter in the long running ITV series Primeval. His recent stage credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida, The Cryptogram for the Donmar Warehouse, Death of a Salesman at the Lyric Theatre, The Crucible for Sheffield Theatres, The Coast of Utopia for the National Theatre and American Buffalo for the Young Vic. His television credits also include South Riding, The Silence, The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle, Lewis, Collision and Psychos. His film credits include Dorian Gray, French Film, Flying Lessons, This Year’s Love, If Only, Fast Food, The Big Man and Angels & Insects which he starred in alongside Scott Thomas.

Ben Miles was last on stage in Michael Attenborough‘s production of Measure for Measure at the Almeida. His theatre credits included Matthew Warchus’ multi award-winning The Norman Conquests at the Old Vic and on Broadway, My Child for the Royal Court, Richard II for the Old Vic, The Cherry Orchard, The London Cuckolds and Mary Stuart for the National and Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet for the RSC. His television credits include leading roles in Coupling, Lark Rise to Candleford, Freezing and Sex, The City and Me for the BBC and Cold Feet for ITV as well as appearances in Prime Suspect, Hustle, Sea of Souls and Trial and Retribution.

Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 and recipient of the Companion of Honour in 2002 Harold Pinter wrote 32 plays, 22 screenplays and directed 36 theatre productions prior to his death in 2008. In October 2006 Pinter performed Samuel Beckett’s monologue Krapp’s Last Tape at the Royal Court, directed by Ian Rickson.

Rickson continues his work at the Comedy Theatre, where his production of The Children’s Hour starring Elisabeth Moss and Keira Knightly completes its extended run on 7 May 2011. Artistic director of the Royal Court from 1998 to 2006, he helmed the critically-acclaimed Jerusalem which, following runs at the Royal Court and the West End starring Mark Rylance will begin previews on Broadway on 2 April 2011. Amongst his other directing credits are The Winterling, The Night Heron, Mojo and Parlour Song for the Royal Court as well as The Hothouse and The Day I Stood Still for the National.

Betrayal is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions.