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Rupert Everett Joins Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Rupert Everett Joins Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Everett Joins Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

The 2020 revival of Edward Albee’s renowned drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf has added another talented name to an all-star mix. Joining the previously announced Laurie Metcalf, Russell Tovey and Patsy Ferran in the production will be the star of stage and screen Rupert Everett in the role of George. Everett replaces Eddie Izzard in the production, who is departing due to schedule conflicts.

Everett will be making his return to Broadway after starring in the 2009 revival of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. On the London stage, he has appeared in Pygmalion and The Judas Kiss. He has been twice nominated for Golden Globe Awards for his work in the films My Best Friend’s Wedding and An Ideal Husband. His additional film credits include Inspector Gadget, The Importance of Being Earnest, Stardust, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Hysteria, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and The Happy Prince as Oscar Wilde. Everett has written several books, including Hello, Darling, Are You Working?; The Hairdressers of St. Tropez; and his memoir Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins.

The multi-award-winning Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which first premiered in 1962, is a harrowing play about the disintegration of a marriage. Over one long evening, George and Martha play a battle of wits in front of a young couple who must witness the unraveling of long-kept secrets.

Scheduled to begin previews on March 3, 2020, toward an April 9 opening at a Shubert Theatre to be announced, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf will be directed by Tony Award-winning director Joe Mantello. This will be a strictly limited engagement. Ms. Metcalf will have the rare distinction of performing major starring roles on Broadway in five contiguous seasons, following Misery; A Doll’s House, Part 2; Three Tall Women; and Hillary and Clinton.

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of MusicalsThe Disney Song Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs. His forthcoming book, Sitcommentary: The Television Comedies That Changed America, will hit the shelves in October, 2019. He maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.