The Stage

Pop singer Andrea Corr to make West End stage debut

Published Wednesday 22 October 2008 at 14:00 by Lalayn Baluch

Irish pop star Andrea Corr is to make her London stage debut alongside Niamh Cusack in a revival of Brian Friel’s Olivier-award winning play Dancing at Lughnasa, as part of the Old Vic’s new season.

The show, which tells the story of five sisters in rural Ireland, will open in late February and will be directed by Anna Mackmin. The play was first seen at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and received its UK premiere at the National Theatre in 1990, before transferring to the West End and Broadway.

Also featuring in the venue’s early 2009 line-up will be the world premiere of new American play Complicit, directed by Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey. Written by Joe Sutton, the play explores our current political climate and is based around the life story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ben Kritzer.

Complicit will start its run in January. Both plays will be staged in the round in the Old Vic’s new CQS space.

The London leg of the Bridge Project - the transatlantic partnership between the Old Vic, Brooklyn Academy of Music and Neal Street Productions - will see Sam Mendes’ production of The Winter’s Tale and The Cherry Orchard take to the stage in May. The cast will be lead by Simon Russell Beale, Sinead Cusack and Hollywood star Ethan Hawke.

Spacey commented: “We’ve had such a great experience with the Norman Conquests that I am thrilled to get a chance to direct Complicit in the round. It is a truly inspirational space and I am delighted to stage a new work alongside some classic pieces.

“I couldn’t be happier that we’ve attracted such a terrific cast to Dancing at Lughnasa and I know that Anna Mackim has wonderful ideas about the play. And we finally get to welcome Sam Mendes to the Old Vic, which will be a great moment for audiences and actors alike. This is a really interesting set of productions and we can’t wait to present them.”

Meanwhile, the 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala returns to the venue for a fifth year this November. The scheme sees 40 renowned actors, directors and writers join forces to create six short plays in just 24 hours, and raise money to support Old Vic New Voices - the theatre’s department dedicated to working with young people.