Simon Russell Beale and John Simm to Star in Pinter's The Hothouse in the West End

Simon Russell Beale and John Simm are pairing up to lead a London production of Harold Pinter’s early play The Hothouse. The revival will run at the West End’s Trafalgar Studios as part of their Trafalgar Transformed initiative by director Jamie Lloyd (Cyrano de Bergerac) and theater operator Howard Panter. The Hothouse will run from May 4 through August 3, with an official opening night on May 9. No additional cast members have been announced.

In The Hothouse, it’s Christmas Day in a nameless state-run mental institution where the inmates are subjected to a tirade of mindless cruelty. A maniacal and self-obsessed leader breeds a contagion of hierarchical savagery amongst his staff, who thrive on a noxious diet of delusion and deceit. Written in 1958, The Hothouse later opened on Broadway on May 6, 1982, starring Dan Butler and Lucky Guy star Peter Gerety. The short-lived production played for 29 performances before closing on May 30.

Beale appeared on Broadway in Jumpers, earning a Tony nomination. He also starred in Spamalot. His London theater credits include Hamlet, Humble Boy, Much Ado about Nothing, Major Barbara, London Assurance, The Seagull and The Tempest. His TV credits include Henry IV Parts I & II, A Dance to the Music of Time and Spooks and Sacred Music.

Simm’s London theater credits include Speaking in Tongues, Elling, Danny Rule, Hamlet, Betrayal and Goldhawk Road. His film and TV credits include Human Traffic, Everyday, Tuesday, Brothers of the Head, 24 Hour Party People, Wonderland, Mad Dogs, The Village, Doctor Who and Life on Mars.