Actress Cate Blanchett is set to make a triumphant return to the stage after six years, taking on the iconic role of Arkadina in Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull. The Oscar winner will star alongside Tom Burke in the new adaptation, which will run for six weeks at the Barbican Theatre in London starting in February.
Director Thomas Ostermeier praised Blanchett as a “once-in-a-generation actress” and expressed his excitement for their first artistic collaboration. The production will also reunite Blanchett and Burke, who recently worked together on Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming film Black Bag.
The play, which explores themes of ambition, vanity, disappointment, and desire, follows the larger-than-life Arkadina as she navigates conflicts during a weekend at her family’s country estate. Blanchett’s character must contend with her son’s struggle to step out of her shadow and her lover becoming the object of affection for a young actress.
The Seagull is produced by Wessex Grove, the same team behind Ostermeier’s successful production of An Enemy of the People starring Matt Smith. Blanchett’s last appearance at the Barbican was in 2012’s Big and Small, but she has continued to captivate audiences with her film performances in movies like Carol, Blue Jasmine, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Burke, known for his roles in The Wonder and The Souvenir, will take on the role of Trigorin in this highly anticipated production. With Blanchett’s return to the stage and the talent of the entire cast and crew, The Seagull promises to be a must-see theatrical event in London.
