Gretchen Mol and Paul Rudd will join British film actress Rachel Weisz in the world premiere of Neil LaBute's latest play, The Shape of Things, part of the Almeida season in London. The Shape of Things opens on May 30 (previews from May 24) and continues until June 23.
Weisz plays an art student in the play which peels back the skin of two modern relationships. How far would you go for love? How far for art? What would you be willing to change? Which price might you pay?
Rudd appeared in the Off-Broadway's production of LaBute's bash a couple seasons ago. His other New York stage appearances include Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center Theater and The Last Night of Ballyhoo on Broadway. On film, he has been seen in "The Object of My Affection," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Clueless."
Mol's film work includes Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown" and "Rounders." LaBute's play will mark her London stage debut.
This will be Weisz's third West End appearance. She has previously appeared in Noel Coward's Design for Living at the Donmar Warehouse and, in 1999, starred in Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer at the Comedy. Weisz is best known for her film roles, including the just released Enemy at the Gates, The Mummy, Stealing Beauty and Land Girls, in which she co-starred with Friel. The Almeida last year presented the British premiere of LaBute's bash, a collection of three one-act pieces. His previous plays include Filthy Talk for Troubled Times, Sanguinarians and Sycophants, Rounder and Ravages. His films include In The Company of Men (for which he received the New York Critics' Circle Best First Feature Award and the Filmmakers' Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival), "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "Nurse Betty." LaBute's most recent film, "Possession," based on AS Byatt's novel, will be released later this year.
LaBute will also direct The Shape of Things at the Almeida. The production is designed by Giles Cadle, with costume design is by Lynette Meyer, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Fergus O'Hare.
The Almeida is in residence at the King's Cross converted bus depot for the next year while its home in Islington, north London, undergoes a £4m refurbishment. Other upcoming productions in the King's Cross season include a new version of Chekhov's Platonov by David Hare, Brian Friel's Faith Healer and a production of King Lear.
For further information, contact the Almeida box office on 011-44-20 7359-4404.
— By Robert Simonson
and Terri Paddock
