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Cast Announced for George Orwell's 1984

Sunday, 2 April 2017

Producers Sonia Friedman and Scott Rudin announced today that Tony® Award nominee Tom Sturridge, Olivia Wilde in her Broadway debut, and Tony® Award winner Reed Birney will lead the cast of the Broadway Premiere of the new stage adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984.  The trio, who will portray the novel’s classic characters Winston Smith, Julia and O’Brien, respectively, will be joined by Wayne Duvall (Parsons), Carl Hendrick Louis (Martin), Nick Mills (Syme), Michael Potts (Charrington), and Cara Seymour (Mrs. Parsons).


Adapted and directed by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, 1984 arrives in New York on the heels of four wildly successful U.K. runs.  The strictly limited engagement begins performances on May 18, 2017, and will open on June 22, 2017 at Broadway’s new Hudson Theatre (139-141 West 44th Street).


One of the most widely referenced and best known fiction titles of all time, 1984 was first published in 1949.  Interest in the title has spiked in recent weeks, as the New York Times reported on January 24, 2017 in an article titled “George Orwell’s ‘1984’ Is Suddenly a Best-Seller,” stating, “George Orwell’s classic book ‘1984,’ about a dystopian future where critical thought is suppressed under a totalitarian regime, has seen a surge in sales this month, rising to the top of multiple best-seller lists in the United States and leading its publisher to have tens of thousands of new copies printed.”


Having recently spiked again to the #1 spot on Amazon’s bestseller list almost seven decades after its first printing, 1984 has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 65 languages around the globe.


Sturridge began his career in Vanity Fair alongside Reese Witherspoon and Being Julia with Annette Bening and Michael Gambon.  Tom's film credits also include Far from the Madding Crowd, Junkhearts, On The Road, Like Minds, Effie Gray, The Boat That Rocked, and currently in Terrence Malick’s Song to Song.  He recently played Henry VI alongside Judi Dench and Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC's “Hollow Crown” series. Tom made his theatre debut in Simon Stephens’ Punk Rock at the Lyric Hammersmith and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and subsequently received the Critics' Circle Best Newcomer Award, along with Best Newcomer at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards. He was also nominated for the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards and London Newcomer of the Year at the WhatsOnStage Awards.  He has since played leading roles at London's Royal Court Theatre, in Simon Stephens' Wastwater and in Polly Stenham's No Quarter. His performance in Orphans on Broadway garnered him a Tony® Award nomination for Best Actor and wins at the Outer Critic's Circle and Theatre World Awards.  Most recently, Tom appeared as Bob in American Buffalo at Wyndham’s Theatre for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.


Wilde recently wrapped production on two films: A Vigilante; and Life Itself, directed by Dan Fogelman and starring opposite Oscar Isaac. Last year, Wilde starred in HBO’s rock ‘n’ roll drama “Vinyl” from creators Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, and Terence Winter.  Along with her work in front of the camera, she recently directed the video for “Dark Necessities”, a five-minute music short for the well-known funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Additionally, she directed the music video “No Love Like Yours,” the first single off of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ sophomore album.  Wilde produced and starred in the drama Meadowland, earning rave reviews for her emotionally charged performance. Her past film credits include the Academy Award winning drama Her, the Golden Globe Award nominated Rush, and the critically-acclaimed indie comedy Drinking Buddies, which she also executive produced. Wilde has served as executive producer on several documentary films. Her most recent documentary short, Body Team 12, premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and won the award for Best Documentary Short, and was nominated for the Academy Award. She previously starred on FOX’s hit medical drama “House.”


Birney won 2016 Tony® and Drama Desk Awards for his performance in Stephen Karam’s The Humans.  He has also appeared on Broadway in Gemini, Picnic, and Casa Valentina (Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk Award). Off-Broadway, he appeared in Man From Nebraska, Bug (Obie Award), Blasted (Drama Desk nomination), Circle Mirror Transformation (Obie, Drama Desk), Uncle Vanya (Drama Desk nomination), Tigers Be Still, The Dream of the Burning Boy (Outer Critics Award nomination), and I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard (Drama Desk nomination). Upcoming: HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” starring Oprah Winfrey.  For television, he has appeared on “House of Cards,” “The Blacklist,” and “Girls.” He is the recipient of a 2006 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence, a 2011 Special Drama Desk Award honoring his career and the Richard Seff Award from Actors’ Equity.


Duvall was last seen by New York theater audiences playing Pap Finn in the City Center’s Encores! production of Big River and Eddie in MCC’s The Legend of Georgia McBride.  Films include O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?; Prisoners; Lincoln; Leatherheads; and Apollo 13, to name a few. His latest film, American Animals, will be released later this year. On television, he spent 4 years playing Sgt. Phil Brander on the CBS drama “The District” and has recurred or guest starred on numerous shows such as “Sneaky Pete,” “Fargo,” “Madam Secretary,” “BrainDead,” “The Leftovers,” “Hell on Wheels,” and “Gotham.”


Louis has appeared on Broadway in The Cherry Orchard (Roundabout Theatre Company).  Off-Broadway:  The Emperor Jones (Irish Repertory Theatre); Little Children Dream of God (Roundabout Theatre Company); The Tempest and Marat/Sade (Classical Theatre of Harlem); The King's Whore (Walkerspace Theater); In Fields Where They Lay (Hudson Guild Theatre).  Regionally, he has appeared in Sunset Baby (Kitchen Theatre Company).  Films include Fan Girl and Unknown Soldier.  He received his MFA from NYU and BA from Fordham University.


Mills was most recently seen on Broadway in The Humans by Stephen Karam. Off-Broadway: Macbeth (The Public Theater), The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin (Roundabout Theatre Company), R&J (Three Day Hangover), The Steadfast (Slant Theatre Project). On television, he has been seen on “Mr. Robot,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “Person of Interest,” and “Show Me a Hero.” Regional: The Legend of Georgia McBride, Appoggiatura (Denver Center), Lombardi (Cleveland Playhouse), Back Back Back (The Old Globe). MFA: NYU.


Potts most recently received critical praise for his role as Turnbo in the Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of August Wilson’s Jitney, under Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s direction.  He is widely recognized for his role as the well-mannered, yet feared assassin Brother Mouzone on HBO’s critically acclaimed series “The Wire” and as Detective Maynard Gilbough in the Emmy® Award winning HBO drama “True Detective.” On the stage, he is known for originating the roles of Mafala Hatimbi in the Tony® Award winning musical The Book of Mormon and Brooks, Sr. in the Tony® Award winning Grey Gardens.


Seymour’s film credits include: Adaptation; American Psycho; An Education; Gangs of New York; Hotel Rwanda; and A Woman, a Part. She played Sister Harriet in Steven Soderbergh's award winning television series “The Knick.” Theatre credits include the Obie Award winning Ecstasy and Goose Pimples, both by Mike Leigh at The New Group; plus  Freedom of the City and Gibraltar at The Irish Repertory Theatre and The Village Bike at MCC.


Icke won the 2016 Olivier Award as well as the Critics’ Circle and London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Best Director for his production of Oresteia at London’s Almeida Theatre, where he currently serves as Associate Director.  Other works at Almeida include adapting and directing Uncle Vanya and Mary Stuart; and as director: Mr. Burns, The Fever, The Iliad, and The Odyssey.  His current production, Hamlet, stars Andrew Scott and will transfer to the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre this summer.  From 2010-13, he was the Associate Director of Headlong.


Macmillan is an award-winning writer and director.  Plays include: People, Places and Things (National Theatre; St. Ann's Warehouse); Every Brilliant Thing (Paines Plough; Pentabus; Barrow Street Theatre; HBO); City of Glass (HOME Manchester); 2071, co-written with Chris Rapley (Royal Court Theatre); The Forbidden Zone (Salzburg Festival; Barbican Centre); Wunschloses Unglück (Burgtheater Vienna); Reise Durch die Nacht (Schauspielhaus Köln; Festival d’Avignon; Teatertreffen); Lungs (Paines Plough; Studio Theatre).  He has twice been nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and was the inaugural winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.


Broadway’s 1984 features a creative team that includes Chloe Lamford (Scenic & Costume Design), Natasha Chivers (Lighting Design), Tom Gibbons (Sound Design), and Tim Reid (Video Design).


Tickets and info are available at http://www.revisedtruth.com/.


This production of 1984 was originally produced in the U.K. by Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse, and the Almeida Theatre, London; as well as on the West End at Playhouse Theatre London, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Eleanor Lloyd Productions.

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