Nicole Kidman will make her much-anticipated return to the London stage in September when she stars in the UK premiere of Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51 at the Noël Coward Theatre.
Directed by Michael Grandage, the Academy Award-winning actress will play British scientist Rosalind Franklin in the production from 5 September (press night 14 September) to 21 November.
Exploring Franklin, the woman who cracked DNA, Photograph 51 tells the story of a precious photograph and the race against time that Franklin faces to unlock the secret of life before her rival scientists.
Kidman’s forthcoming stage appearance marks the first time she will have been seen in the West End for more than 15 years. Best known for her numerous screen roles, which include films Moulin Rouge!, The Hours, Rabbit Hole, Australia and Cold Mountain, the Hemingway & Gellhorn star was last seen on the London stage in 1998’s The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse, for which she received an Evening Standard Award and Olivier Award nomination.
Director Grandage, who returns to the Noël Coward Theatre following his star-studded season at the venue from 2012 to 2014, recently worked with Kidman on biographical drama film Genius, which is released later this year. The former Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director will also direct Dawn French in the West End transfer of her solo show 30 Million Minutes this winter.
As with the Michael Grandage Company’s previous West End season, Photograph 51 will see the return of the same ticketing initiative that allowed 100,000 theatregoers to see stars including Judi Dench, Jude Law and Daniel Radcliffe for a tenner. In this case, 20,000 tickets – a staggering 25% of the total available – will go on sale at £10.
The production will open at the Noël Coward Theatre following the forthcoming run of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Death Of A Salesman, starring Antony Sher and Harriet Walter, which plays from 9 May to 18 July.