The Oscar winner will leave the show between June 20 and Aug. 6 to do nasty things to the man of steel in the new Superman movie (he’s playing Lex Luthor).

Lukis has appeared at the Old Vic before, when he played Tom in the opening production of Spacey’s regime, Cloaca, a show that Spacey himself directed. Lukis’ other London stage work includes Dinner, Dead Funny and Sleep With Me.

The play may have drawn varied reviews, but it has remained a hot ticket. It opened with an advance of £1.2 million, and according to its press representatives has been playing to packed houses.

In Spacey’s absence, the rest of the cast will remain the same, led by Jennifer Ehle (who partnered Lukis in the critically acclaimed BBC television adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”). The ensemble also includes Oliver Cotton, Nicholas Le Provost, Richard Lintern, Julia McKenzie, Damien Matthews, DW Moffett, Talulah Riley and Lauren Ward. Jerry Zaks directs, with set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tom Rand, lighting by Hugh Vanstone and sound by Fergus O’Hare.

There has been no announcement yet about a possible West End transfer, although Theatreland impresarios Duncan C. Weldon and Paul Elliott are co producing and Spacey is known to have cleared a space in his diary for the play to have a possible further life. Tickets can currently be booked for performances until Aug. 6. For more information, call (0)870 060 6628.