The Ivy to Stage New Harwood Play???

The Ivy, the exclusive London restaurant which boasts a celebrity clientele and has its bookings filled up three months in advance, is reportedly celebrating 20 years of fine dining by staging a new play by Ronald Harwood. According to the Independent, the new play, Heavenly Ivy, will take place next week for five nights in the restaurant, transformed into a theatre for the occasion. Sean Mathias, best known for his production of A Little Night Music at the National and last year’s Waiting for Godot, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, will direct the show.

The Ivy has been a favourite with stars from the theatrical firmament: playwright and novelist John Mortimer frequented its doors, Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey is a regular diner, and Andrew Lloyd-Webber has described The Ivy as “London’s top watering-hole”. Past patrons of the West End haunt include celebrities like Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Jack Nicholson and Claudia Schiffer.