At the opening-night party for his Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (starring Ned Beatty, Jason Patric and Ashley Judd) Kenwright announced that she would start rehearsals in January for The Sleeping Prince. The Terence Rattigan play was made into a 1957 movie starring Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, which ardent film-fan Kenwright will know is famous for the on-set tension between its leads. He’ll be hoping that Carey, reportedly not the easiest person to work with, will get into the team spirit. According to Variety, Kenwright told his party-goers that, “Mariah Carey wants to get rid of the glitz and tassels. She wants to be an actress. She’s not this diva.”.

Carey’s last high-profile workout as a thespian was the 2001 film “Glitter” which, even on a relatively low budget of $22 million, was widely considered a flop. But Carey’s most precious asset for this play may be her star quality. In his autobiography “Confessions Of An Actor” Olivier recalled that, despite his low regard for her acting powers, Monroe’s undoubted ability to shine for her fans worked brilliantly on screen. Kenwright will hope that it’s a quality Carey can replicate.

Although no theatre has yet been named, the Daily Mail newspaper suggests the Lyric in Shaftesbury Avenue, a regular Kenwright venue.