Al Pacino Will Headline David Mamet's New Play China Doll on Broadway in Fall 2015

Al Pacino says he is to tackle "one of the most daunting and challenging roles I’ve been given to explore onstage." As we previously reported, the Tony and Oscar winner will return to Broadway next year in a new play by David Mamet. We now know that Pacino will lead China Doll, which will begin performances in October 2015 at a Shubert theater to be announced later. Pam MacKinnon will direct.

"China Doll is a play about a wealthy man, his young fiancé, and an airplane," said Mamet, in a statement. "The man has just bought a new plane as a wedding present for the girl. He intends to go into semiretirement, and enjoy himself. He's in the process of leaving his office, and is giving last minute instructions to his young assistant. He takes one last phone call...The characters are Mickey Ross, a billionaire; Carson, the assistant, and a telephone. I wrote it for Al. It is better than oral sex.” Carson is yet to be cast.

Pacino won Tony Awards for The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, and received an additional nomination for The Merchant of Venice. His other Broadway credits include Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, Hughie, Chinese Coffee, American Buffalo and King Richard III. His many film credits include The Godfather trilogy, Scent of a Woman, Heat, Serpico, Scarface, Angels in America, Insomnia, Any Given Sunday, The Insider and Donnie Brasco.