By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Cate Blanchett is set to return to the stage after a six year break, taking on the role of Arkadina in a new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull. The Oscar winning actress will star alongside Strike actor Tom Burke in a production directed by Thomas Ostermeier. The play will run for six weeks at London’s Barbican Theatre starting in February.
This stage appearance marks a reunion for Blanchett and Burke, who recently worked together on Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film Black Bag. Ostermeier, excited about the collaboration, described Blanchett as a "once in a generation actress" and expressed his admiration for her, noting that it is always a privilege to witness her performances. He also shared his enthusiasm for working with Burke, who will play the role of Trigorin.
The play The Seagull explores complex themes like ambition, vanity, disappointment, and desire. Blanchett's character, Arkadina, is a celebrated actress whose commanding presence affects everyone around her. As she visits her family’s country estate, tensions arise her son struggles with living in her shadow, and her lover becomes infatuated with a young, aspiring actress.
The Seagull will be produced by Wessex Grove, the same team behind Ostermeier's earlier production of An Enemy of the People, which featured Matt Smith. Blanchett last graced the Barbican stage in 2012 with Big and Small (Gross und Klein), and her most recent theatre role was in 2019’s When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other at the National Theatre, just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blanchett has an extensive and diverse film career, with notable roles in Carol, Nightmare Alley, Tár, Don’t Look Up, Notes on a Scandal, Thor, Ragnarok, and Ocean's 8. She has been nominated for eight Oscars, winning twice for her performances in The Aviator and Blue Jasmine. Burke, known for his role as Cormoran Strike in the TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Strike novels, has also appeared in The Wonder, Living, The Souvenir, and Furiosa, A Mad Max Saga.
