John Hurt and Penelope Wilton will co-star in Afterplay, a sequel to a Chekhov story, set in the Russia of the 1920's.

The play will be staged at the Gielgud Theatre beginning with previews on Sept. 10, then having a press night on Sept. 19.

The production, directed by Robin Lefevre, designed by Liz Ascroft and with lighting by Mick Hughes, was first seen at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, in March of this year.

John Hurt's last West End appearance was in Krapp's Last Tape at the New Ambassadors. Though often thought of as a television actress thanks to popular series like "Ever Decreasing Circles," Penelope Wilton is a distinguished stage actress whose most recent London appearance was in The Little Foxes at the Donmar. She gave a superb performance in the lead role in Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea in 1993, first at the Almeida then the Apollo, and starred in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard at the Albery in 1996.

Afterplay will appear alongside Friel's new translation of the Chekhov one-act play, The Bear.

—By Theatrenow