It’s the Donmar Warehouse’s first production away from their Covent Garden home base, and Donmar boss Michael Grandage directs.
It’s being seen as a bold move, with memories of Richard Eyre’s much-lauded National Theatre production still in the minds of many theatregoers. But it’s also a populist contrast with Grandage’s last London production: Schiller’s Don Carlos (although against industry expectations that proved a box-office as well as a critical hit).
McGregor plays the gambler Sky Masterson, with Jenna Russell as Sarah, the doll he sets his heart on. Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski plays Miss Adelaide with Douglas Hodge as Nathan Detroit. Also amongst the line-up are Niall Buggy, Gaye Brown, Sevan Stephan and as Nicely Nicely Johnson — the role which made Clive Rowe’s career in the NT staging — Martyn Ellis.
The rest of the cast sheet includes Norman Bowman, Patrick Brennan, Lyndsey Britton, Darren Carnell, Ben Clare, Matthew Cole, Cory English, Liz Cooper Gee, Charlotte Gorton, Zoe Hardman, Madeleine Harland, Nicola Keen., Graham MacDuff, Andrew Playfoot, Kelly Price, Jo Servi, Spencer Soloman, Summer Strallen, Suzanne Toase and Sebastian Torkia.
Regular Grandage collaborator Christopher Oram designs, with lighting by Howard Harrison, choreography by Rob Ashford, and Jae Alexander is music director. Opening night is set for June 1. For more information, call (0)870 060 6630.