Will Hampstead’s Chariots of Fire sprint into Gielgud?

Mike Bartlett‘s stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire could transfer to the West End’s Gielgud Theatre, sprinting into the West End in June following it’s upcoming stint at the Hampstead Theatre.

Whatsonstage.com hears that Edward Hall‘s production, which runs at the Hampstead from 22 May (previews from 9 May) to 16 June 2012, could transfer straight to the Gielgud, currently dark since The Ladykillers finished its run on Saturday.

We have not heard of any other plans to fill the theatre in the interim.

Billed as “one of the most thrilling Olympic stories,” Chariots of Fire centres on two great athletes – Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams (played on the big screen by Ian Charleson and Ben Cross) – outsiders who overcame prejudice and personal strife to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Casting for Chariots of Fire‘s Hampstead Theatre run was recently announced, with Jack Lowden as Liddell and James McArdle as Abrahams. They are joined in the cast by Simon Williams, Nickolas Grace and James McArdle.

The Hampstead Theatre has transferred two productions to the West End during Edward Hall‘s two years as artistic director. Mike Leigh returned to his 1979 play Ecstasy, which had premiered at the Hampstead, and transferred the production to the West End’s Duchess Theatre for a limited 50-performance season in April last year.

The theatre also transferred Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s first full-length play Belongings to Trafalgar Studios 2 for a limited season following a run at the Hampstead’s Michael Frayn Space at Hampstead Downstairs in June 2011.