Rufus Sewell, Kristin Scott Thomas & Lia Williams to Star in Harold Pinter's Old Times in the West End

Kristin Scott Thomas and Lia Williams will share the roles of Anna and Kate in the forthcoming West End revival of Harold Pinter’s Old Times, opposite Rufus Sewell as Deeley, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail. Directed by Ian Rickson, the production will begin performances at the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre in mid-January. No official start date has been set.

Scott Thomas and Williams will reportedly swap roles with no set schedule, and their co-star Sewell may not know which actress is playing which role until the curtain goes up. “We might even toss a coin to decide who goes on playing what part,” Rickson said.

Set in a farmhouse, Old Times is the story of married couple Deeley (Sewell) and Kate (Scott Thomas/Williams), who prepare for the visit of Kate’s old roommate and friend Anna (Scott Thomas/Williams). The couple hasn’t seen Anna in 20 years. In some critical interpretations of the classic play, Kate and Anna are thought to be two different personalities within the same person. Old Times originally opened at the Aldwych Theatre in 1971 starring Colin Blakely, Dorothy Tutin and Vivien Merchant. The show premiered on Broadway in 1971 starring Robert Shaw, Rosemary Harris and Mary Ure.

Scott Thomas has appeared on Broadway in The Seagull. Her many film credits include The English Patient, Mission: Impossible, Gosford Park, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Other Boleyn Girl and Life as a House. Williams earned a Tony nomination for Skylight and has also appeared on Broadway in Arcadia. Her film and TV credits include Doc Martin, Firelight, The Fifth Province, The Russian Bride and Shot Through the Heart. Sewell garnered a Tony nomination for Rock ‘n’ Roll and has also appeared on Broadway in Translations. His film and TV credits include Dark City, The Illusionist, A Knight’s Tale, The Holiday, Parade’s End, Eleventh Hour and The Last King.