Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett is set to return to the London stage, starring as Arkadina in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. The production will be held at London’s Barbican Theatre for a six-week run, beginning in February 2025.
Blanchett will be joined by Tom Burke, known for his roles in the series Strike and the upcoming film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The two recently collaborated on Steven Soderbergh’s forthcoming film Black Bag.
In The Seagull, Blanchett portrays Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose presence stirs conflict during a weekend at her family’s country estate.
Burke plays Trigorin, Arkadina’s lover and a renowned writer, who becomes the object of affection for an aspiring young actress.
The adaptation of Chekhov’s play is by Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things) and Thomas Ostermeier (Death in Venice), who will also direct.
The production is brought to life by Wessex Grove, the team behind Ostermeier’s recent An Enemy of the People starring Matt Smith, and Gavin Kalin Productions (Sunset Boulevard).
Cate Blanchett (Photo: Ben Birchall)
Ostermeier expressed his enthusiasm about the project, saying, “I have known and admired Cate for many years, and to see her on stage is always a privilege.
I am thrilled that we will make our first artistic collaboration with this production of The Seagull at the Barbican, and that London will experience this once-in-a-generation actress in one of the greatest theatrical roles of Arkadina.”
He added, “I’m also very pleased to be forging a new artistic relationship with Tom Burke, who will play the role of Trigorin.”
This production follows another staging of The Seagull in London two years ago, which featured Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame.
Blanchett last appeared at the Barbican in 2012’s Big and Small (Gross und Klein). Her most recent London stage performance was in 2019’s When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other at the National Theatre, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout her illustrious career, Blanchett has received eight Oscar nominations, winning two for her roles in The Aviator and Blue Jasmine.
