Succession star Brian Cox is set to star in a new West End production of American playwright Eugene O’Neill’s magnus opus, Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
The Scottish actor will take on the role of patriarch James Tyrone in the autobiographical play, which will be directed by Jeremy Herrin and open at Wyndham’s Theatre in March, 2024.
The play, which marks Cox’s first West End role in almost a decade, won the Pulitzer Prize and is regarded by some as the greatest American play of the 20th century. Telling a story of love, hate, betrayal, addiction and the fragility of family bonds, it depicts a summer day in the life of the Tyrone family.
This week it was also announced that Sharp Objects star Patricia Clarkson and The End Of The F***ing World actor Alex Lawther, will join award-winning Cox in the new production.
Clarkson, who starred opposite Amy Adams in the adaptation of the novel Sharp Objects and is also known for roles in Easy A, The Green Mile and Far From Heaven, will play matriarch Mary Tyrone, while Lawther will appear as Edmund, her younger son.
They will be joined by Daryl McCormack, who recently starred opposite Emma Thompson in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, as the son James Jr, while Derry Girls star Louisa Harland will play Cathleen, a maid.
McCormack said: “It has been a dream of mine to bring this play to life, since I first read it as a student more than 10 years ago. To be accompanied by such talented actors and have a brilliant director in Jeremy, it is a true gift. I eagerly await the work that is ahead of us in reviving this magnificently tragic and haunting play.”
Director Herrin added: “A great play is always relevant and Long Day’s Journey Into Night is, it’s often argued, the greatest play of the 20th century.
“With its searing honesty and blistering depth of emotion, it must be up there.
“What is impossible to argue with is that we have the best cast and, in Lizzie Clachan, one of the most exciting designers in the country, to discover what makes O’Neill’s masterwork relevant for now.
“I can’t wait to bring this classic to life. I anticipate a feast of fine acting and vivid performances in what I hope to be a high definition production.”
