Star Trek’s Chris Pine will boldly go to the Bridge Theatre next summer, but the Hollywood actor, best known for playing Captain James T Kirk in the sci-fi reboot, will be swapping the Starship Enterprise for the stage.
For his London theatre debut, Pine, 45, has been cast in the title role of a new version of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov by Australian writer-director Simon Stone.
Produced by the London Theatre Company, the play will run from 4 July to 19 September 2026 at the Bridge, where Stone’s acclaimed update of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea is currently playing.
Pine, who studied English at the University of California, Berkeley, began his career in theatre before moving into film. He previously starred in The Atheist by Ronan Noone in New York in 2006 and The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh in Los Angeles in 2010. His film credits include Wonder Woman, Don’t Worry Darling and Poolman, the 2023 mystery comedy he also co-wrote and directed.
“I’m excited to bring this complex character and story to life and to take part in Simon’s singular creative process,” Pine said of his casting.
Stone, whose previous London hits include Yerma with Billie Piper at the Young Vic, praised the actor as “uniquely sensitive and brilliantly intelligent”. He added: “I’ve seen in his work how hilarious he can be but also how moving — you can’t do Chekhov without both. Ivanov is the most knotty of his male characters, a challenge and a gift.”
First staged in 1887, Chekhov’s early play follows a debt-ridden landowner whose failing marriage pushes him to despair. Previous UK productions have included Kenneth Branagh’s 2008 West End version opposite Andrea Riseborough and David Hare’s 2015 Young Chekhov trilogy at Chichester and the National Theatre.
“Chekhov is the master of finding humour in suffering,” Stone said. “His writing beats with the heart of a great humanist — an ode to imperfection.”
The production will reunite Stone’s Lady from the Sea creative team, including designer Lizzie Clachan, costume designer Mel Page, composer and sound designer Stefan Gregory, lighting designer Nick Schlieper and casting director Jessica Ronane.
Ivanov is on pre-sale for Bridge Theatre priority members now and goes on pre-sale to advance members and access patrons Thursday 23 October at 12noon. Public booking opens on Friday 24 October at 12noon via bridgetheatre.co.uk.
