Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Mangan and the cast of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard are now in rehearsals ahead of the show’s run at the Harold Pinter Theatre this October.
Ian Rickson’s production, based on a new adaptation by Conor McPherson, sees Thomas as Lyubov Ranevskaya and Mangan as Lopakhin.
They are joined by Ruby Bentall as Sharlotta, Megan Cusack as Dunyasha, Karl Johnson as Firs, Anastasia Martin as Anya, Noof Ousellam as Yasha, Jeff Rawle as Pishchik, Jack Riddiford as Trofimov, Vinette Robinson as Varya, Shubham Saraf as Yepikhodov and Peter Wight as Gaev.
“My life has no sense or meaning without this place”
When Lyubov Ranevskaya returns to her childhood estate after years abroad, she finds her family home and beloved cherry orchard under threat.
As old loyalties falter and new ambitions rise, a world of privilege begins to crumble. Can Lyubov embrace the future, or will the pull of memory prove impossible to escape?
The travelling band and understudies for the production are Kathleen Cranham, Rachel Dawson and Fergus Murphy. They are joined by understudies Philip Bosworth, Alex Childs, Paul Easom and Miles Paloma.
The Cherry Orchard will see Mangan reunite with Rickson, having previously worked with him on Pinter’s The Birthday Party in 2018. Rickson and Thomas also reunite to bring another Chekhov classic to the stage, with Scott Thomas having previously played Arkadina in Rickson’s production of The Seagull.
The Cherry Orchard also sees Rickson and McPherson working together again having had previous success on the 1997 production of McPherson’s The Weir and Uncle Vanya in 2020.
The creative team for The Cherry Orchard includes set designer Chloe Lamford, costume designer Sussie Juhlin-Wallén, lighting designer Bruno Poet, sound designer Tom Gibbons, composer Stephen Warbeck, movement director Shelley Maxwell and casting director Amy Ball.
The Cherry Orchard will be produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions and Winkler & Smalberg. It runs at Harold Pinter Theatre from October 3, 2026 – January 9, 2027.
Tickets here.
Top image: Stephen Mangan and Kristin Scott Thomas – Photo by Johan Persson (image supplied)