George Blagden, Sebastian Roché and Olivia Ross are among the latest actors to have joined the West End cast of Tartuffe, alongside the previously announced Paul Anderson and Audrey Fleurot. In the West End’s first ever dual-language production, Molière’s classic comedy re-imagines Tartuffe as a radical American evangelist who uproots the life of a French film tycoon in Hollywood.
Tartuffe will premiere for a limited ten-week West End run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 25 May 2018 (press night is 29 May). The production is directed by Gerald Garutti and adapted by Christopher Hampton.
Bios
Sebastian Roché will make his West End stage debut as Orgon, a French media mogul living in Hollywood, who unwittingly becomes hoodwinked by Tartuffe. Roché’s screen credits include the HBO series Young Pope, Man In The High Castle and The Vampire Diaries. His stage credits include Julie Taymor’s Broadway production of The Green Bird (Mandell Weiss Theater) and Salome opposite Al Pacino (Square Theatre). He also co-stars in the upcoming second season of the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series Genius.
George Blagden joins the cast as Damis, Orgon’s son. Blagden’s best-known roles to date have included Grantaire in the film adaptation of Les Misérables, King Louis XIV in Versailles (BBC2) and Athelstan in Vikings (Amazon), as well as roles in Black Mirror (Netflix) and Wrath of the Titans (Warner Bros. Pictures).
Olivia Ross plays Mariane, daughter of Orgon and brother of Damis. Ross’ screen credits to date include playing Mademoiselle Bourienne in War & Peace (BBC1) and Queen Joan in Knightfall (History), as well as stage performances in Blue Stockings, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry V (The Globe).
The full cast includes Paul Anderson as Tartuffe (Peaky Blinders, The Revenant), George Blagden as Damis (Versailles, Vikings), Jaz Deol as Valère (The Halcyon, Code of a Killer), Zachary Fall as The Officer (Poldark, Versailles), John Faulkner as Monsieur Loyal (Little Boy Blue, Mary Queen of Scots), Audrey Fleurot as Elmire (Spiral, The Intouchables), Paikan Garutti as Laurent (Songe d’une nuit d’été, Courteline), Annick Le Goff as Madame Pernelle (Le Petit Lieutenant), Claude Perron as Dorine (Amélie, Chrysalis), Sebastian Roché as Orgon (Man in the High Castle, Young Pope), Olivia Ross as Mariane (War & Peace, Shakespeare’s Globe: A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Vincent Winterhalter as Cléante (Spiral, Nicolas Le Floch).
L.A. Present day. French media tycoon Orgon has re-located to Tinsel town with his family, his heart set on becoming Hollywood royalty. With a new studio to his name, and a palatial Beverly Hills mansion, his empire seems infallible. But all is not as it seems, as Orgon falls under the seductive spell of Tartuffe, a radical evangelist. So comprehensively has Tartuffe hoodwinked Orgon that he looks set to steal his fortune, drive away his son, seduce his wife and marry his daughter.
As befitting the Theatre Royal Haymarket, which was known to the play-going world as ‘The New French Theatre’ following it’s opening in 1720, this adaptation of Tartuffe will alternate between English with French surtitles and French with English surtitles to reflect the unfolding plot.
Written in 1664, Tartuffe, or The Impostor became regarded as one of Molière’s most celebrated comedies, complete with some of the greatest classical theatre roles. Set present day in Donald Trump’s America, the play’s trenchant mockery of human frailties remains as relevant as ever in this darkly comic adaptation of the classic satire.
