Cate Blanchett to return to stage after six years

LONDON

Actress Cate Blanchett is to return to the stage for the first time in six years, with a role in Anton Chekhov's play “The Seagull.”

The Oscar winner will play Arkadina in the new adaptation, which will also star Strike actor Tom Burke. The show will play at the Barbican Theater in London for six weeks from February.

Its director Thomas Ostermeier described Blanchett as a "once-in-a-generation actress."

The new adaptation will mark a reunion for Blanchett and Burke, who recently completed filming for Steven Soderbergh's forthcoming film Black Bag.

Ostermeier told BBC News: "I have known and admired Cate for many years, and to see her on stage is always a privilege. I am thrilled that we will make our first artistic collaboration with this production of The Seagull at the Barbican, and that London will experience this once-in-a-generation actress in one of the greatest theatrical roles of Arkadina. I’m also very pleased to be forging a new artistic relationship with Tom Burke, who will play the role of Trigorin."

Blanchett's character Arkadina is a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships.

Blanchett last performed on the Barbican stage in 2012's Big and Small (Gross und Klein).