Tony Kushner's New Version of The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call Set for London's National; Lesley Manville Will Star

London's National Theatre has announced a new staging of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's dark comic play The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call, featuring a new adaptation by Tony and Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America). Oscar nominee and Olivier winner Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) will star in the central role of Claire Zachanassian for the production, set to commence at the Olivier Theatre in February of 2020, with exact dates to come.

Tony and Olivier nominee Jeremy Herrin (Wolf Hall) will direct Kushner's post-war American context version of the play, which will also star Richard Durden, Sara Kestelman, Joseph Mydell and Nicholas Woodeson.

The play centers on Claire Zachanassian (Manville), an often-widowed millionairess who pays a visit to her hardship-stricken birthplace. The locals hope she'll bring them a new lease on life, but little do they know that her offer to revitalize the town comes at a dreadful price.

The National's production will feature set design by Vicki Mortimer, costume design by Moritz Junge, lighting design by Paule Constable, composition by Paul Englishby and movement direction by Polly Bennett.

Dürrenmatt's play is the basis for the musical The Visit, by Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb, which premiered on Broadway in 2015, featuring Chita Rivera in a Tony-nominated turn as Claire Zachanassian.

For a look at the full slate of upcoming productions at London's National, click here.