Jessica Lange's long-rumoured return to the West End looks set to be realized this autumn. The Society of London Theatre reports that the Oscar-winning American film actress will co-star with British actor Charles Dance in a new production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night, which will open on Nov. 21, 2000.

Lange made her West End debut in 1996 as Blanche Dubois in a sell-out production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. However, she is best known for her films, which include "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "A Thousand Acres," "Rob Roy," "Cape Fear," "Crimes of the Heart" and "Sweet Dreams." The actress won Academy awards for her performances in "Blue Sky" and "Tootsie."

O'Neill's 1941 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama tells the story of a family on the edge, whose druggie mother and alcoholic son are battling against enduring addictions. Lange will play the wife and mother, Mary Tyrone, a part played by Katherine Hepburn in Sidney Lumet's 1962 film version. Dance plays Mary's husband, James Tyrone.

Like Lange, Dance is an accomplished stage actor though best known for his films, including "Hilary and Jackie", "Michael Collins," "China Moon," "Last Action Hero," "White Mischief" and "Plenty." He made a critically acclaimed return to the theatre last year in the Donmar Warehouse revival of CP Taylor's Nazi morality tale, Good.

Long Day's Journey into Night will be directed by British director Robin Phillips who was, for six years, the artistic director of Canada's Stratford Festival, where he last directed the O'Neill classic in 1980. The play will be produced in the West End by Bill Kenwright, though a venue has not yet been confirmed.