Cherry Jones to Make West End Debut in John Tiffany's THE GLASS MENAGERIE with Michael Esper, Brian J. Smith, and Kate O'Flynn

John Tiffany returns to the West End for the first time since the international critical hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, to bring his acclaimed production of The Glass Menagerie to the Duke of York's Theatre for a limited season.

Following its premiere in 2013 at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, a multi Tony Award-nominated run on Broadway at the Booth Theater and a European premiere at this year's Edinburgh International Festival, John Tiffany's fresh staging of Tennessee Williams' classic play will begin previews on 26 January 2017 with Opening Night on 2 February 2017.

Cherry Jones will reprise her Tony Award-nominated Broadway role as Amanda Wingfield, with fellow Edinburgh International Festival cast members Michael Esper (Tom) and Kate O'Flynn (Laura). Brian J. Smith reprises his Tony Award-nominated Broadway role as the Gentleman Caller.

Alongside this stellar cast, the Duke of York's Theatre will be transformed into Tennessee Williams' St Louis of the 1930's by a universally acclaimed creative team. The Glass Menagerie features movement by the Olivier Award-winning Steven Hoggett, who has collaborated with John Tiffany on numerous previous productions including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once and Let the Right One In. It is designed by seven-time Tony Award-winner Bob Crowley, lighting design is by six-time Tony Award-winner Natasha Katz with sound design from Olivier and Tony Award-winning Paul Arditti with music by celebrated composer Nico Muhly.

A domineering mother. A daughter lost in a world of her own. A son determined to leave.

Former Southern Belle, Amanda Wingfield, is desperate to find a husband for her fragile daughter Laura, whilst son Tom dreams of breaking free from their faded St. Louis home. But will the long-awaited 'gentleman caller' fulfil or shatter the family's delicate dreams?

Michael Esper and Brian J. Smith are appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Cherry Jones starred on Broadway most recently in the triumphant revival of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie (Tony Nomination), which originated at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is a founding member and where earlier in her career she appeared in more than 25 productions including Twelfth Night, The Three Sisters and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Broadway and Off-Broadway: Doubt (Tony, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle and Obie Awards), Lincoln Center Theater's production of The Heiress (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); Pride's Crossing (Drama Desk Award); When We Were Young and Unafraid; The Baltimore Waltz (Obie Award); Faith Healer; Flesh and Blood; Imaginary Friends; A Moon for the Misbegotten (Tony Award nomination);Angels in America; Our Country's Good (Tony Award nomination); and Roundabout Theatre Company's productions of Mrs. Warren's Profession, Major Barbara and The Night of the Iguana. Television: President Allison Taylor in "24" (Emmy Award), "What Makes a Family," "Awake," season two and three of "Transparent" on Amazon, "Mercy Street," and the mini-series 11/22/63 starring James Franco. Film:Ocean's Twelve, Cradle Will Rock, The Horse Whisperer, The Perfect Storm, Erin Brockovich, Signs, The Village, Mother and Child,Swimmers, I Saw the Light, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot opposite Tina Fey.

Michael Esper recently reprised the role of 'Valentine' in the David Bowie musical Lazarus at the King's Cross Theatre in London in the winter of 2016, after his previous performance of the role at NY Theatre Workshop was singled out by the NY Times as one of 2015's Best Stage Moments. Esper was most recently seen on Broadway in the Sting musical, The Last Ship, directed by Joe Mantello, in the role of 'Gideon Fletcher,' which he originated at the Bank of America Theater in Chicago. Esper is a recipient of the prestigious Clarence Derwent Award for outstanding theater performances. Esper originated the roles of 'Will' in the Tony-winning musical, American Idiot and Curtis in Nicky Silver's, The Lyons, and appeared alongside Frank Langella in A Man For All Seasons.

Esper's recent feature film work includes Brad Furman's Runner, Runner, Frances Ha, and The Drop. Additional film credits include the Andrew Jarecki feature, All Good Things, A Beautiful Mind, and Loggerheads, which competed at the Sundance Film Festival.

Television credits include Recurring roles on Shades Of Blue and ABC's The Family, Guest Star roles in Halt & Catch Fire, Person Of Interestand The Good Wife, a Recurring Role On Nurse Jackie, and a Series Regular role on Do No Harm. Past TV credits include Bunker Hill for TNTand Law & Order.

Additional theater credits include Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures, a role he originated and which premiered at The Guthrie Theater. The play would go on to open at The Public Theatre in New York. Esper created the role of "Nick Leslye" Headland play, Assistance, for Playwrights Horizons, and the role of Bela in Tales From Red Vienna opposite Nina Arianda at MTC. He is also known for roles in The Agony And The Agony (Vineyard Theatre), As You Like It (The Public Theater), Big Bill (Lincoln Center Theater), Crazy Mary And Manic Flight Reaction (Playwrights Horizons), The Four Of Us (Manhattan Theatre Club), and Suburbia (Second Stage Theatre). Regional credits include Long Day's Journey Into Night (Druid Theatre Company and the Dublin Theatre Festival) and Edward Albee's Me Myself, & I (McCarter Theatre Center).

Kate O'Flynn trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London. Her stage credits include The Children's Hour (for which she won the MEN Award for Best Newcomer and the TMA Award for Best Supporting Actress) and See How They Run at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester; A Miracle and The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas at The Royal Court Theatre, London; House of Special Purpose at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester; The Whisky Taster at the Bush Theatre, London; Marine Parade for English Touring Theatre; The Sound of Heavy Rain and Lungs for Paines Plough; Port (for which she won the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Newcomer) and A Taste of Honey at the Royal National Theatre; The Trial at the Young Vic, London. Her television credits include Doctor Thorne, Ordinary Lies, No Offence, New Tricks, Room at the Top, Playhouse Presents: The Snipist, Above Suspicion, The Syndicate, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher,Kingdom, The Palace and Trial and Retribution. Her films include Mr Turner, Happy Go Lucky and the forthcoming Bridget Jones's Baby.

Brian J. Smith can currently be seen starring in the Netflix sci-fi series, Sense8. Previous work includes Broadway: The Glass Menagerie(Outer Critic Circle Award, Tony, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations), The Columnist and Come Back, Little Sheba, Manhattan Theatre Club. Off-Broadway: Good Boys and True. Second Stage: Three Changes, Playwrights Horizons. Television/Film: Sense8, Quantico, 22 Chaser, The Passing Season, Stargate Universe, Red Faction: Origins, Defiance, Warehouse 13, Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express, Unforgettable, Blue Bloods, Gossip Girl, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Law & Order, Coma, Hate Crime, The War Boys, Red Hook. BFA, Juilliard.

John Tiffany recently directed Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two in the West End. On Broadway he directed Macbeth, The Glass Menagerie (also American Repertory Theatre and EIF) and Once, for which he was the recipient of multiple awards. As Associate Director of the Royal Court his work includes The Twits, Hope and The Pass. He directed Let The Right One In for the National Theatre of Scotland, which transferred to the Royal Court, West End and St. Ann's Warehouse. His other work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes Macbeth, Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan, The House of Bernarda Alba, Transform Caithness: Hunter, Be Near Me, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, The Bacchae, Black Watch (for which he won the Olivier and Critics' Circle Best Director Awards), Elizabeth Gordon Quinnand Home: Glasgow. Other recent credits include The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was Associate Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2005 to 2012, and was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Steven Hoggett has previously collaborated with John Tiffany on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two in the West End, The Twits for the Royal Court, Let The Right One In and Black Watch for the National Theatre of Scotland, The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T and on Broadway and Once on Broadway and in the West End. Broadway credits include American Idiot, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Last Ship and Rocky The Musical. His other recent credits include Close To You: Bacharach Reimagined at NYTW and in the West End, The Light Princess, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (also West End) and Dido Queen of Carthage for the National Theatre, Brooklynite for the Vineyard Theatre and Rigoletto for the Metropolitan Opera. Hoggett was a founding co-artistic director of Frantic Assembly for which his credits include Lovesong, Othello, Little Dogs, Beautiful Burnout, Stockholm, Pool (No Water) and Dirty Wonderland. His film credits include Freak Show for Maven Pictures and How To Train Your Dragon 2 for Dreamworks.

Bob Crowley was born in Cork, where he studied fine art at the Crawford Art School before training in theatre design at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His stage credits include Collaborators, Fram (which he co-directed), His Girl Friday, Mourning Becomes Electra and The History Boys for the Royal National Theatre; The Plantagenets (for which he won an Olivier Award) and Les Liaisons Dangereuses for the RSC; Mary Poppins, The Audience and Aladdin in the West End and on Broadway; Once for the American Repertory Theater and on Broadway; The History Boys, Aida, Tarzan (which he also directed), The Year of Magical Thinking, The Coast of Utopia and Carousel on Broadway; Into the Woods and Orpheus Descending at the Donmar Warehouse, London; The Seagull at The Public Theater New York; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter's Tale and Strapless for the Royal Ballet; Don Carlos for the Royal Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, New York; La traviata and The Knot Garden for the Royal Opera; and The Cunning Little Vixen at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. His awards include seven Tony Awards, the Royal Designer for Industry Award, and the Robert L. B. Tobin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatrical Design at the DF/Irene Sharaff Awards (New York).

Natasha Katz is thrilled to be designing the lighting for The Glass Menagerie after having designed it on Broadway and at the Edinburgh International Festival. Ms. Katz is a New York based lighting designer and six-time Tony Award winner, including this year's Tony Award forLong Day's Journey Into Night. Her recent West End credits include: Skylight, Motown, Aladdin, Once, School of Rock, and the upcoming An American in Paris, along with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter's Tale at the Royal Ballet. Permanent lighting installations include: Niketown NYC and London; and the Big Bang at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Recipient of: Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Whatsonstage Award, Henry Hewes Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Joseph Jefferson Award, Ruth Morely Design Award, and National Broadway Theatre Award.

Paul Arditti's recent sound designs include Amadeus, The Threepenny Opera, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, wonder.land, Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Everyman, London Road (National Theatre); Mary Stuart, Little Revolution, American Psycho (Almeida); The Emperor(Young Vic & HOME Manchester); King Charles III (Almeida, West End, UK tour & Broadway); If You Kiss Me Kiss Me, Measure for Measure(Young Vic); Streetcar Named Desire (Young Vic & St Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn); The Audience (West End & Broadway); Skylight (West End & Broadway); The Scottsboro Boys (Young Vic & West End); Red Velvet (Tricycle, St Ann's Warehouse, West End); Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (West End); Billy Elliot The Musical (West End, Broadway, UK tour & around the world).

Paul's awards include a Tony, a Drama Desk and an Olivier Award for Billy Elliot The Musical; Tony nominations for Mary Stuart and One Man Two Guvnors on Broadway; Olivier Award for Saint Joan at the NT; Evening Standard Award 2005 for Festen at the in the West End; Drama Desk Award for The Pillowman on Broadway.

Paul is a founder member of the Association Of Sound Designers and an Associate Director of the National Theatre. paularditti.com

Nico Muhly is an American composer and sought-after collaborator whose influences range from American minimalism to the Anglican choral tradition. The recipient of commissions from The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, St. Paul's Cathedral, and others, he has written more than 80 works for the concert stage, including operas Two Boys (2010), Dark Sisters (2011), and the forthcoming Marnie; the song cyclesSentences (2015), for countertenor Iestyn Davies and Impossible Things (2009), for tenor Mark Padmore; a viola concerto for violist Nadia Sirota; and the choral works My Days (2011) and Recordare, Domine (2013), written for Hilliard Ensemble and the Tallis Scholars respectively.

Muhly is frequent collaborator with choreographer Benjamin Millepied and, as an arranger, has paired with Sufjan Stevens, Rufus Wainwright, Joanna Newsom, and Antony and The Johnsons, among others. He has composed for stage and screen, with credits that include music for the 2013 Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie and scores for the films Kill Your Darlings; Me, Earl And The Dying Girl; and the Academy Award-winning The Reader. Born in Vermont, Muhly studied composition with John Corigliano and Christopher Rouse at the Julliard School before working as an editor and conductor for Philip Glass. He is part of the artist-run record label Bedroom Community, which released his first two albums, Speaks Volumes (2006) and Mothertongue (2008). He currently lives in New York City.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by RoBert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure as Artistic Director in 2008. Under the leadership of Paulus, Executive Director Diane Quinn and Producer Diane Borger, the A.R.T. seeks to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.

Throughout its history, the A.R.T. has been honored with many distinguished awards, including the Tony Award for Best New Play for All the Way (2014); consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed; a Pulitzer Prize; a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent; the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater; and numerous Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos