Zoe Wanamaker stars in West End Passion Play

The production, which will be directed by David Leveaux, will open at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 7 May 2013 (previews from 1 May) for a limited run to 3 August, following a short regional tour to Richmond Theatre and the Theatre Royal Brighton.

The play charts the collapse of a 25-year of marriage, as a successful man still in love with his wife is attracted to a younger and sexually voracious woman whose temptations he’s unable to resist. As trust collapses, husband and wife Eleanor and James are left floundering and exposed.

Passion Play was last seen in the West End in 2000, when Michael Grandage‘s Donmar Warehouse revival transferred to the Comedy Theatre.

Zoe Wanamaker‘s recent credits include The Cherry Orchard and Much Ado About Nothing at the National, and most recently, All My Sons (opposite David Suchet) in the West End, for which she won the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Actress in a Play.

David Leveaux reunites with Wanamaker, whom he directed in her Olivier Award-winning performance in Electra (Donmar Warehouse and Broadway). He has been nominated for five Tony Awards as a director of both plays and musicals. His recent London play credits include Arcadia, Backbeat, The Late Middle Classes and The Real Thing.

On Broadway, his recent plays include Through a Glass Darkly starring Carey Mulligan, Cyrano de Bergerac starring Kevin Kline and Betrayal starring Juliette Binoche.

Passion Play is being produced by Tali Pelman, as part of her new partnership with Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), the UK’s biggest commercial theatre owners.

Commenting on the production, Pelman said: “Passion Play is a brilliantly funny and sexy play about how well we really know the people we love. It could be in no better hands than David’s, and we are thrilled to reunite him with Zoë for the first time since he directed her landmark performance in Electra. It’s a delight to inaugurate my partnership with ATG with this production.”

Prior to the West End, Passion Play will run at Richmond Theatre (12-20 April) and Theatre Royal Brighton (23-27 April). No further casting has yet been announced. 

** WEST END TICKETS FOR PASSION PLAY WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY VIA WHATSONSTAGE.COM. **