Christine Baranski is set to make her highly anticipated West End debut, starring opposite Richard E Grant in a revival of Noel Coward’s classic comedy, Hay Fever.
The US actor, known for her roles in The Good Wife, Mamma Mia, and The Gilded Age, will play retired actress Judith Bliss in what is described as a "stinging new production".
Grant will return to the West End stage after a 20-year absence, portraying Judith’s reclusive novelist husband, David Bliss. The country house-set comedy, which premiered in the West End in 1925, focuses on the eccentric Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour when each invites a guest for the weekend.
Expressing her excitement, Baranski said: "I attended my first West End play as a student at Juilliard in 1971, so it’s rather a dream come true to perform at Wyndham’s Theatre in a Noel Coward play in the West End. I look forward to a life in London, a city I absolutely adore."
She highlighted the coincidence of both her and Grant’s 20-year stage hiatus, adding: "Richard is so gifted, whip smart, and wickedly funny. I look forward to ‘tearing a passion to tatters’ with him alongside our brilliant director, Emily Burns."
The actress characterised Hay Fever as "a 101-year-old comedy of appalling manners. It requires quicksilver delivery and suave flamboyance. I hope it will be a delicious treat for audiences to spend time with this Blissful Bohemian family!"
Grant shared his enthusiasm, stating: "Twenty-five years ago, I guest-starred for a night in The Play What I Wrote at the beautiful Wyndham’s Theatre. I am delighted to return to the Wyndham’s stage (and maybe to a bigger dressing room) alongside the sensational Christine Baranski in Noel Coward’s delicious comedy, Hay Fever, which premiered in the West End 101 years ago (but who’s counting?)."
He added: "I love the theatre and am thrilled to return to it, and to be directed by the illustrious Emily Burns."
Hay Fever will run at the Wyndham’s Theatre from September 22 to December 12 2026, with a press night on October 1.
