Russell Tovey and It’s A Sin star Omari Douglas to play couple in West End revival of Constellations
The pair will star as lovers whose relationship is explored through parallel universes in the revival of Nick Payne's award-winning stage show.
By Will Stroude
Words: Will Stroude
Russell Tovey and Omari Douglas are set to play a couple in a new West End revival of Constellations.
The screen stars are among a rotating cast of actors who’ll appear in the Donmar Warehouse’s new production of the award-winning play, set to run at London’s Vaudeville Theatre from 18 June-12 September with live (and socially distanced) audiences.
Attitude May issue cover star Tovey and It’s A Sin actor Douglas will take the lead in shows from 30 July-11 September, with tickets on sale from Friday 16 April.
Russell Tovey for the Attitude May issue, out now to download and to order globally (Photography: Mark Cant)
The other actors set to play couples during Constellations’ run are Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah (18 June – 1 August) Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker (23 June – 24 July), and Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd (6 August – 12 September).
Written by Nick Payne, Constellations explores a relationship through parallel universes and quantum theory. It premiered to widespread acclaim in the West End in 2012 starring Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins, before opening on Broadway in 2015 with Jake Gyllenhaal and Luther’s Ruth Wilson in the lead roles.
An official synopsis reads: “A quantum physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbeque. They hit it off, or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference…”
The cast of the West End revival of Constellations
Michael Longhurst, Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse and director of Constellations’ original 2012 West End run, said: “Reviving Constellations with four brilliant casts in rep – varying the age, ethnicity, sexuality and nationality of the lovers – feels like a thrilling way to help reanimate the West End, offering audiences multiple new interpretations of this life-affirming play about choice.”
Constellations marks another high-profile gay West End stage role for former Looking star Tovey, who starred in LGBTQ football drama The Pass in 2014 and Tony Kushner’s Aids epic Angels in America in 2017.
The revival of Constellations will also mark the first major stage appearance for Douglas since the 27-year-old rising star won viewers’ hearts as Roscoe Babatune in Russell T Davies’ Aids drama It’s A Sin earlier this year.
Tickets for Constellations go on sale from 9am (online) and 10am (telephone) this Friday 16 April.
The Attitude May issue is out now to download and to order globally.
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