Natasha Richardson is in talks to star in the Broadway production of Patrick Marber's Closer, according to a spokesperson at her agency, PMK (reached Nov. 23).

Richardson won a 1998 Tony award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the Roundabout's revival of Cabaret. She also appeared in the Roundabout's production of Anna Christie with her then husband-to-be Liam Neeson.

Variety reports that Richardson is being considered for Anna, the photographer, a role that gained an Olivier nomination for the original London Closer lead, Sally Dexter.

Interestingly, one of the producers of Closer, Robert Fox, is Richardson's ex-husband. He recently co-produced The Judas Kiss starring Neeson.

Closer has announced a spring 1999 opening for Broadway and may move into the newly refurbished Music Box Theatre (last home to 1997's revival of The Diary Of Anne Frank), according to the Oct. 5 Theatrical Index. Rumors, including a Daily News mention (Nov. 24) and posts on the bulletin boards of Closer's own official site, have Rupert Graves in the cast. Graves was most recently of the Almeida and West End stagings of the Kevin Spacey The Iceman Cometh, set to open on Broadway April 8, 1999. Among its many accolades, Closer has won the 1997 Time Out Award for Best Play in the West End, the 1997 Evening Standard Best Comedy Award, the 1997 Critics Circle Best Play Award and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Marber was also a runner-up for the 1997 Lloyds' Playwright of the Year Award.

Closer, which explores the vicissitudes of modern love, features a quartet of lovers caught up in a web of love, lust, sex and betrayal. The various casts of foursomes have featured many prominent actors including Liza Walker, Frances Barber, Imogen Stubbs, Neil Pearson, Lloyd Owen and Tom Mannion.

The London production of Closer has an official website at http://www.closer.co.uk.