Anna Maxwell Martin and Lesley Manville are heading to London’s West End for a revival of August: Osage County
*Not taking place in August
Sometimes, the glitzy world of film stars feels millions of miles away, other times they’re a hop skip and a jump down the road starring in a phenomenal West End play. From Chris Pine to Richard E Grant, London’s many theatres, festivals, and spoken word ceremonies are littered with fabulous actors. Two TV titans are the latest to tread some of London’s historic boards, as Lesley Manville and Anna Maxwell Martin head to Shaftesbury Avenue.
The pair are set to star in Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize winning play August: Osage County when it opens in the West End next year.
You may recognise the name of the play which was also adapted into a hit film in 2013 starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. It’s regarded as one of the most defining American plays of the 21st century, and follows the dysfunctional Weston family as they reunite at their Oklahoma home for a funeral.
It’s been around 20 years since the show was last performed in the West End, having been run at National Theatre as well as on Broadway. The latest production, directed by Jeremy Herrin will open at the Noel Coward Theatre in January 2027.
It’s a pretty weighty lineup in terms of acting prowess, with The Crown star Manville taking on the role of the family’s matriarch Violet Weston. Manville recently scooped up a Tony award for her role as Jocasta in the London iteration of Robert Icke’s Oedipus which transferred to London from its Broadway run. Meanwhile, Maxwell will be taking on the role of Barbara Fordham.
Manville said she was “ delighted” to be taking on August: Osage County, adding that the play is “an epic piece of American literature” and praised the “truly great” Tracy Letts.
Director Jeremy Herrin also praised the play, describing it as “a darkly funny and gripping family drama that transcends its form.” He added that “as a brilliant actor himself and long-standing member of Steppenwolf, Tracy knows how to write for actors.” Herrin admitted he’s a longtime fan of Maxwell Martin “whose work [he’s] long admired” and was “thrilled to reunite with Lesley Manville”, saying that he “couldn’t wait to see [the two] square up” against one another.
The play itself received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Letts later penned its big screen adaptation. The show was nominated for a whopping seven Tony Awards, winning six of those, including the coveted 'best play' category.
August: Osage County will run at the Noel Coward Theatre from January 18 2027 to April 10 2027, with tickets on sale at 12pm on 17th July.
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