Further Cast, Creative Team, and Dates Set For Cate Blanchett-Led THE SEAGULL at The Barbican Theatre

Further casting has been announced for Duncan MacMillan and Thomas Ostermeier's new version of Chekhov's masterpiece The Seagull. Joining the previously announced Cate Blanchett (Arkadina) and Tom Burke (Trigorin) are Priyanga Burford (Polina), Emma Corrin (Nina), Zachary Hart (Medvedenko), Paul Higgins (Shamrayev), Tanya Reynolds (Masha), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Konstantin), and Jason Watkins (Sorin). Further casting and creative team will be announced shortly.

Also directed by Ostermeier, the production will play a limited 6 week run at the Barbican Theatre from February 2025. Tickets starts at £20, and for every performance there are over 100 tickets at that price. The production opens on 6 March, with previews from 26 February, and runs until 5 April.

Completing the creative team are Magda Willi (Set Design), Marg Horwell (Costume Design), Tom Gibbons (Sound Design), and Jim Carnahan CSA & Liz Fraser CSA (Casting).

Cate Blanchett stars as Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships. Arriving at her family's country estate for the weekend, she finds herself caught up in a storm of conflicting desires. Her playwright son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), struggles to step out of her shadow as he pursues his own artistic ambitions and her lover Trigorin (Tom Burke), becomes the object of affection for the aspiring young actress Nina (Emma Corrin).

As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions, and disappointments, Chekhov's timeless story unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power, and the sacrifices made in the name of art.

Biographies

Cate Blanchett plays Arkadina. She served alongside Andrew Upton as co-Artistic Director and co-CEO of Sydney Theatre Company (STC) between 2008-2013, producing 16 shows a year across 4 stages, many of which toured nationally and internationally. Notable productions include Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Liv Ullman; Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya directed by Tamás Ascher,  Steven Soderbergh's Tot Mom; Benedict Andrews' productions of The War Of The Roses, Genet's The Maids and Botho Strauss' Gross Und Klein; the seminal adaptation of The Secret River by Neil Armfield; numerous productions by director Kip Williams; and Andrew Upton's The Present directed by John Crowley for which Blanchett earned a Tony Award nomination for its Broadway run. Blanchett's most recent performance in London was at The National Theatre in Martin Crimp's When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other directed by Katie Mitchell. Her screen credits include Taìr, Nightmare Alley, Don't Look Up, Ocean's 8, Thor: Ragnorok, Carol, Blue Jasmine, I'm Not There, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Notes on a Scandal, The Life Aquatic, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, The Lord of The Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, The Good German, The Aviator, The Talented Mr Ripley and Elizabeth. Blanchett has won numerous awards including two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Screen Actors Guild awards. Blanchett is co-Founder and Principal of production company Dirty Films for which she has produced and acted, alongside partners Andrew Upton and Coco Francini, which recently launched PROOF OF CONCEPT, providing support and opportunities to women, trans and non-binary filmmakers. She created and produced the award-winning Audible Original podcast CLIMATE OF CHANGE, and produced EVOLVER, a VR interactive experience which was selected for the first ever Immersive Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She has presided over festival juries in Cannes and Venice, and The Venice Film Festival has twice awarded her The Volpi Cup for Best Performance. Blanchett holds a BFI Fellowship from the BFI London Film Festival, has received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Numerous other accolades include the Honorary Cesar, International Goya and Chaplin Awards.

Priyanga Burford plays Polina. Her theatre credits include An Enemy of the People (Duke of York's Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play), Rapture (Royal Court Theatre), The Winter's Tale, Eyam (Shakespeare's Globe), and Consent (National Theatre). Her television work includes Innocent, Industry, Avenue 5, This Time with Alan Partridge, Press, W1A, and King Charles III; and for film, No Time To Die.

Tom Burke plays Trigorin. His theatre work includes Rosmersholm (Duke of York's Theatre), Don Carlos (UK tour), The Deep Blue Sea, The Doctor's Dilemma (National Theatre), Reasons to be Happy (Hampstead Theatre), Reasons to be Pretty, Macbeth (Almeida Theatre), Design for Living (The Old Vic), for The Donmar Warehouse, Creditors (also New York, winner of the Ian Charleson Award) and The Cut, and Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare's Globe). His television work includes Extinction, The Crown, Strike, The Musketeers, War and Peace, Utopia, The Hour,  Great Expectations, Casanova, and State of Play; and for film, Furiosa, The Wonder, Klokkenluider, True Things About Me, Mank, The Souvenir, The Invisible Woman, The Libertine, Telstar, Chéri, An Enemy to Die For, Cleanskin, Only God Forgives, The Invisible Woman and The Hooligan Factory.  

Emma Corrin plays Nina. Their theatre work includes Orlando (Michael Grandage Company at the Garrick Theatre) and Anna X (Harold Pinter Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress and The Stage Debut Award nomination for Best West End Performer). For television, their credits include playing Lady Diana Spencer in the award-winning The Crown - for which they won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, as well as receiving a SAG and Emmy nomination, A Murder at the End of the World (nomination for an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Lead Performance), and the forthcoming Black Mirror. For film, their credits include Deadpool & Wolverine, Lady Chatterley's Lover, My Policeman, and the forthcoming Nosferatu, and 100 Nights of the Hero.

Zachary Hart plays Medvedenko. His theatre credits include The Constituent (The Old Vic), An Enemy of the People (Duke of York's Theatre), Julius Caesar (Bridge Theatre). For television, his work includes Slow Horses, Bodies, Peaky Blinders, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Masters of the Air, Sitting in Limbo, and Doc Martin; and for film, Jericho Ridge, and Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes.

Paul Higgins plays Shamrayev. For theatre, his work includes Romeo and Juliet, The Doctor, Macbeth, Conversations After a Burial (Almeida Theatre), Local Hero (Chichester Festival Theatre), This is Memorial Device (Royal Lyceum Theatre), The Meaning of Zong (Bristol Old Vic), Aristocrats, Temple, Luise Miller (Donmar Warehouse), The Seagull (Lyric Hammersmith), Twilight Song (Park Theatre), Blackbird, King Lear (Citizens Theatre), Hope, Nightsongs (Royal Court Theatre), Children of the Sun, Caledonia, The White Guard, Paul (National Theatre), Damascus (Traverse Theatre and Tricycle Theatre), Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland), The Tempest (Tron Theatre), Measure for Measure (RSC), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare's Globe), Buried Alive (Hampstead Theatre), The Way of the World (Royal Exchange Theatre), An Enemy of the People (National Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre LA), and The Slab Boys (Young Vic). For television, his work includes The Simpsons, Slow Horses, The Ipcress Files, Beep, Cold Call, Line of Duty, Raised by Wolves, The Wrong Mans, Case Histories, Utopia, Hope Springs, Purves and Pekkala, The Last Enemy, The Thick of It, Low Winter Sun, Murder, Lucky Ones, and Staying Alive; and for film, Kill, Greed, Apostle, The Party's Just Beginning, Couple in a Hole, Victor and Abdul, In The Loop, The Red Road, Complicity, Beautiful Creatures, Bedrooms and Hallways, Goal! and No Holds Bard.

Tanya Reynolds plays Masha. Her theatre credits include A Mirror (Almeida Theatre and Trafalgar Studios – Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), She Stoops to Conquer (Orange Tree Theatre), The Last Words You'll Hear (Almeida Theatre), It's Not Like It's Illegal (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Scenes with Girls (Royal Court Theatre). Her television credits include The Decameron, 4Stories: On The Edge, The Baby, I Hate You, Sex Education, Breeders, and Delicious. And for film, Timestalkers, Harold, The Purple Crayon, Emma, Undergods, Fanny Lye Deliver'd, and The Revenger: an Unromantic Comedy.

Kodi Smit-McPhee makes his professional stage debut as Konstantin. His television work includes the upcoming limited series Disclaimer and previous series Interrogation. His film work includes the upcoming releases Maria and Memoir of a Snail, and previous films The Power of the Dog (New York Critics' Film Award, and BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor),  Dolemite is My Name, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Alpha, Deadpool 2, X Men: Apocalypse, Slow West, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, All the Wilderness, ParaNorman, Let Me In (nomination for AFI Award for Best Young Actor), The Road and Romulus, My Father (AFI Award for Best Young Actor), and the forthcoming Zealot. 

Jason Watkins plays Sorin. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Servant to Two Masters for the RSC/Young Vic/West End.  His other theatre includes Frozen (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Twits, Boy Gets Girl, Rafts and Dreams, King Lear (Royal Court Theatre), Strange Interlude, Landscape with Weapon, Our Class, Inadmissible Evidence (National Theatre), A Laughing Matter (National Theatre and Out of Joint), The Plantagenets, The Plain Dealer (RSC), Blue Kettle and Hearts Desire (Out of Joint), The Late Henry Moss, A Midsummer's Night's Dream (Almeida Theatre), A Farewell to the Theatre (Hampstead Theatre), The Dumb Waiter (Oxford Playhouse), and Arden of Faversham (Old Red Lion). Watkins played the title role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won the Best Actor BAFTA. Other television includes The Crown (as Harold Wilson – SAG Award for Best Ensemble), McDonald and Dodds (as series regular DS Dodds), Anansi Boys, Des, Archie, Coma, The Catch, The Trick, Line of Duty, Taboo, Inside No 9, A Very English Scandal, Friday Night Dinner, Trollied, W1A, the animated series Batman Caped Crusader (as Pennyworth), Being Human, Housewife 49, Sex Traffic, Little Dorrit, Funland, Are You Being Served, and the documentary - Jason and Clara In Memory of Maudie. His film credits include The Phoenician Scheme, The Nest, Wicked Little Letters, Hampstead, The Children Act, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Wild Child, Nativity! film series (as Gordon Shakespeare), Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason, and High Hopes; and the short film, The One Note Man (Greece International Film Festival Best Actor, Richard Harris Best Actor Award).  

Since September 1999 Thomas Ostermeier has been resident director and member of the Artistic Direction of the Schaubühne Berlin. His productions for the company include An Enemy of the People, Death in Venice, The Little Foxes - audience award of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, Richard III - Premio della Critica Teatrale, Bella Figura, Professor Bernhardi, Returning to Reims, History of Violence, Italian Night, Abgrund – co-production with Salzburger Festspiele, Youth Without God, Vernon Subutex, Ödipus, Qui a tué mon Père and The Seagull. His other theatre work includes Der starke Stamm, Vor Sonnenaufgang, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, and Susn (Münchner Kammerspiele), The Girl on the Sofa (Edinburgh Festival – Herald Angel Award), The Master Builder (Burgtheater in Vienna), The Seagull (Théâtre-Vidy, Lausanne), Knives in Hens, Nora – Nestroy Prize and Politika Prize, Hedda Gabler - audience award of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, Returning to Reims (Theatertreffen Berlin), John Gabriel Borkman - Grand Prix de la Critique of France, Hamlet - Barcelona Critics Prize and critic's prize as Best International Production 2011 in Chile, The Cut - critic´s prize at the international theatre festival KONTAKT in Torun, Measure for Measure - Friedrich-Luft-Prize for the Best Theatre Performance in Berlin, La Nuit des rois ou Tout ce que vous voulez (Comédie-Française Paris) – Prix Molière for the best Production in France 2022 - as well as productions across the globe. In November 2004 Ostermeier was appointed Artiste Associé for the Festival d'Avignon by the artistic director of the festival, Vincent Baudriller, and has been presenting shows at the Festival regularly since then. In 2023 he opened the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence with his version of Brecht's/ Weill's The Threepenny Opera. He has been appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French ministry of Culture, was German president of the Deutsch-Französischer Kulturrat (DKFR) - German-French Council of Culture, was the recipient of the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the KYTHERA-Price for Culture, and is a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Künste, of the Académie de Berlin and of the Deutsch-Französischer Kulturrat, as well as receiving honorary doctorates from the Universities of Kent and Gothenberg.

Duncan MacMillan is an award-winning writer and director. His work has been performed throughout the world, including at The National Theatre, the Royal Court, Old Vic, Almeida, Barbican, St Ann's Warehouse, Melbourne Theatre Company, Berliner Ensemble, Schaubühne Berlin, Hamburg Schauspielhaus, Burgtheater Wien, Vesturport, Kansallisteatteri, Nationaltheatret Oslo, at the Salzburg Festival, in the West End and on Broadway. His screen work has been shown at the London and Berlin film festivals, on the BBC, Netflix and HBO. Plays include People, Places and Things, Lungs; Every Brilliant Thing; Rosmersholm (adapt. Henrik Ibsen); 1984 (adapt. George Orwell, co-written and co-directed with Robert Icke); City of Glass (adapt. Paul Auster) and 2071 (co-written with Chris Rapley); The Forbidden Zone; Wunschloses Unglück (adapt. Peter Handke); and Reise durch die Nacht (adapt. Friederike Mayröcker), which was selected for Theatertreffen and Festival d'Avignon and awarded the Nestroy Preis for Best German Language Production. People, Places and Things, 1984 and Rosmersholm were all nominated for Olivier Awards.

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