Anne-Marie Duff Stars in Old Vic Cause Celebre

Anne-Marie Duff will star in Thea Sharrock‘s production of Cause Celebre which opens at the Old Vic Theatre on 29 March 2011 (previews from 17 March). The production of Terence Rattigan‘s final play is being staged to mark the playwright’s centenary and will mark the start a year of celebrations.

Cause Celebre is based on the true story of Alma Rattenbury (Anne-Marie Duff) who was put on public trial in 1935 with her 18-year-old lover for violently killing her husband.

Condemned by the public, more for her seduction of a younger man than for any involvement she may have had in her husband’s death, the play examines the role of passion, guilt and loyalty in a study of 1930s English sensibilities.

Anne-Marie Duff won an Evening Standard Theatre Award, a South Bank Show Award, The Critics’ Circle Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award for the National Theatre’s 2007 revival of Saint Joan in which she played the title role.

Her varied stage credits include Richard Eyre‘s King Lear at the National Theatre and Howard Davies‘ production of Collected Stories at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Duff has also received BAFTA nominations for playing Fiona in Channel 4’s Shameless and Elizabeth I in the BBC’s The Virgin Queen.

Sharrock recently directed the critically acclaimed production of Rattigan’s second play, After the Dance which played the NT Lyttelton from June to August this summer and starred Benedict Cumberbatch. She is currently directing Theatre Royal Bath’s production of Blithe Spirit, starring Alison Steadman which is touring before transferring into the West End’s Apollo Theatre for a limited season from 2 March to 18 June 2011.

Amongst Sharrock’s extensive directing credits are The Misanthrope starring Keira Knightley at Comedy Theatre, As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe and Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths at the Gielgud Theatre and on Broadway.

Cause Celebre will be designed by Hildegard Bechtler with lighting by Bruno Poet, music by Adrian Johnston and sound by Ian Dickinson.