Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, who hasn’t appeared on stage in 17 years, will play Ellida and Andrew Lincoln will play Edward in Ibsen’s play about a woman’s fight for autonomy.
Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln will star in a new production of The Lady from the Sea written and directed by Simon Stone after Henrik Ibsen. Performances will begin at the Bridge Theatre this September.
Academy Award winner Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, Tomb Raider), who hasn’t appeared on stage in 17 years, will play Ellida and Lincoln (Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, Old Vic) will play Edward in Ibsen’s play about a woman’s fight for autonomy in her relationship.
Vikander said: “I’m so excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Simon and Andrew. Ibsen was one of the first playwrights I was introduced to, and his plays have always spoken to me on a deeply personal level, so it felt right that The Lady from the Sea should be my theatre debut. As a long admirer of Simon’s work and his unique vision, I can’t wait for him to bring this play to life.”
Lincoln added: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Bridge Theatre with The Lady from the Sea this Autumn. Simon Stone’s Yerma with Billie Piper and the rest of the astonishing cast was one of the greatest plays I’ve seen in years and reminded me of why I became an actor. So to be able to be back on stage alongside Alicia Vikander, with Simon’s direction, writing and all-round brilliance was too irresistible an opportunity to miss.”
Simon Stone, an Australian theatre and film director known for his radical reimaginings of Yerma at the Young Vic and Phaedra at the National Theatre, makes his debut at the Bridge Theatre. He said: “I’m over the moon to have found a new London home in the beautiful Bridge Theatre. The space is exhilarating, versatile, incredibly intimate.
“Alicia was born to play this role. She grew up watching Ibsen in his original language. His myths course through her veins. She’s totally mesmerising to watch inhabit a character. The truth emanates from her. At a young age she’s already built an impressive career of emotionally and physically astonishing performances. Theatre audiences now have the chance to soak up that unique talent live.
“I’ve been a fan of Andrew since I was a teenager. His effortless emotional access; the ugly truth underneath his handsome, charming exterior; the vulnerability that he’s willing to let us watch, thereby transforming itself into awe-inspiring strength. Open, raw, honest: my kind of actor.”
The Lady from the Sea follows Ellida, who fears she may have settled for a comfortable life with her husband Edward, a well-off doctor. When a lover from her past appears, she must choose between the life she has built and the one she left behind.
Further casting is to be announced.
The Lady From the Sea will play from 10 September to 8 November.
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