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Colin Morgan, Orlando Bloom, Vanessa Kirby and more screen stars on stage this summer

Find out where and when you can see these big names treading the boards over the next few months

Ben Hewis

Ben Hewis

| London | London's West End |

14 May 2018

Orlando Bloom, Indira Varma, Colin Morgan, Caroline Quentin, Alfred Enoch and Vanessa Kirby
Orlando Bloom, Indira Varma, Colin Morgan, Caroline Quentin, Alfred Enoch and Vanessa Kirby
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

They may have become used to the fame and fortune awarded to them by their success on screen, but the actors below know that acting on stage is where they get their real kicks.

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l-r Orlando Bloom and Sophie Cookson in rehearsals for Killer Joe
l-r Orlando Bloom and Sophie Cookson in rehearsals for Killer Joe
(© Marc Brenner)

Orlando Bloom, Killer Joe, Trafalgar Studios until 18 August

The Pirates of the Carribean star will swap the big screen for the small stage as he makes his West End return at the 380-seater Trafalgar Studios. The piece focuses on policeman-cum-hitman Joe Cooper (played by Bloom), and his relationship with innocent 12 year-old girl Dottie (Sophie Cookson).

Designer Tom Scutt and Vanessa Kirby in rehearsals for Julie
Designer Tom Scutt and Vanessa Kirby in rehearsals for Julie
© Richard Hubert Smith

Vanessa Kirby, Julie, National Theatre until 8 September

Fresh from her BAFTA Award win for her performance as Princess Margaret in Netflix drama The Crown, Kirby takes on this new adaptation of August Strindberg's Miss Julie. Directed by Carrie Cracknell, Polly Stenham's adaptation relocates this classic play to a late night party in contemporary London.

Ian McKellen and Tamara Lawrance in King Lear
Ian McKellen and Tamara Lawrance in King Lear
© Manuel Harlan

Ian McKellen, King Lear, Duke of York's Theatre from 26 July

Following its critically-acclaimed run in Chichester, Jonathan Munby's production of Shakespeare's tragedy comes to the West End for a limited run. As well as the legend that is Ian
McKellen, the cast also features Sinead Cusack – recently seen in ITV's Marcella.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Anita Dobson and Debbie Chazen in rehearsals for 3Women
Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Anita Dobson and Debbie Chazen in rehearsals for 3Women
© Robert Piwko

Anita Dobson, 3Women, Trafalgar Studios – now closed

After a recent spell in Oz playing Madame Morrible in Wicked, Call the Midwife and EastEnders star Dobson returns to the stage in comedian Katy Brand's debut play. The piece, which follows three generations of women, examines how feminism and women's rights are and have been perceived.

Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in Red
Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in Red
© Johan Persson

Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch, Red, Wyndham's Theatre until 28 July

John Logan's award-winning play about artist Mark Rothko makes its West End premiere with Spider-Man star Molina reprising his Tony-nominated performance as the 20th century artist. Enoch, best known for How To Get Away With Murder, plays his assistant Ken.

Aidan Turner
Aidan Turner
© Johan Persson

Aidan Turner, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Noël Coward Theatre until 8 September

After Red, director Michael Grandage will turn his attention to Martin McDonagh's black comedy. Set in Ireland in the early 1990s, it satires terrorism and nationalism in the modern day and features Poldark hunk Aidan Turner… and a cat.

Matt Lucas and Caroline Quentin
Matt Lucas and Caroline Quentin
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Caroline Quentin and Matt Lucas, Me and My Girl, Chichester Festival Theatre until 25 August

Daniel Evans has assembled a crack team for his new season at Chichester Festival Theatre, including Men Behaving Badly's Quentin and Little Britain's Lucas. They star as the Duchess of Dene and Bill Snibson in new staging with a revised book by Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent.

Paul Robinson in rehearsals for Tartuffe
Paul Anderson in rehearsals for Tartuffe
(© Helen Maybanks)

Paul Anderson, Tartuffe, Theatre Royal Haymarket until 28 July

The Peaky Blinders star swaps Small Heath for Los Angeles as he takes to the boards in Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Molière's classic comedy. Reimagined in Donald Trump's America, a French film tycoon finds his life uprooted by a radical American evangelist.

Indira Varma and Rhys Ifans
Indira Varma and Rhys Ifans
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

Indira Varma and Rhys Ifans, Exit the King, National Theatre 25 July to 6 October

Varma returns to the National three years after starring in Man and Superman, while it's been five years since Ifans was on the South Bank in Protest Song. They now join forces in Patrick Marber's new version of Ionesco's play, which tells of the last day of the 400 year-old King Bérenger's life.

Colin Morgan in rehearsals for Translations
Colin Morgan in rehearsals for Translations
© Catherine Ashmore

Colin Morgan, Translations, National Theatre until 11 August

Merlin star Morgan clearly has the theatre bug. It's not even a year since the curtain came down on his last stage outing – Gloria at Hampstead Theatre – and he's back thesping at the National. Brian Friel's play, directed by Ian Rickson, tells of a prodigal son who arrives back in rural Donegal from Dublin with two British army officers.

Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe in The King and I
Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe in The King and I
© Paul Kolnick

Ken Watanabe, The King and I, London Palladium until 29 September

Watanabe is best known for his roles in Christopher Nolan's Hollywood blockbusters Batman Begins and Inception, as well as his Academy Award-nominated performance in The Last Samurai. He now brings his Tony-nominated performance in Bartlett Sher's production of this classic musical to the London Palladium.

Andre Holland and Mark Rylance
Andre Holland and Mark Rylance
(© © Bruce Glikas)

André Holland and Mark Rylance, Othello, Shakespeare's Globe from 1 August

As part of Michelle Terry's first season as artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe, Moonlight star André Holland will star in the title role alongside former Globe boss Mark Rylance, who plays Iago in this production directed by Rylance's wife Claire van Kampen.

Laura Linney
Laura Linney
© David Gordon

Laura Linney, My Name is Lucy Barton – now closed

You'll recognise her from films including The Truman Show and Love Actually, and now Linney is set to make her London stage debut at the brand new Bridge Theatre. Richard Eyre directs Rona Munro's adaptation of Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which sees the titular character wake after an operation to find her mother, who she hasn't seen in years, sat at the foot of her bed.

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