Cate Blanchett Returns to London Stage in Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’ Adaptation

Cate Blanchett has signed on for a new stage adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play The Seagull at the Barbican in London.

The production will be Blanchett’s first stage appearance in six years.

Blanchett will take on the role of Arkadina, sharing the stage with Tom Burke, known for his role in The Souvenir. The production is set to run for six weeks from February 2025.

Thomas Ostermeier will direct the adaptation and expressed his excitement about Blanchett’s involvement. “I have known and admired Cate for many years, and to see her on stage is always a privilege,” he shared with BBC News.

Ostermeier added, “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 and Burke recently collaborated on Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag. Focus Features has picked up the film, scheduling its release for March 14, 2025.

The high-stakes mystery film features Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, alongside Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Burke, and Pierce Brosnan. The project is produced by Casey Silver and Greg Jacobs, with David Koepp as the screenwriter.

In addition to her stage work, Blanchett will soon appear in Alfonso Cuarón’s limited series Disclaimer for Apple TV+. The seven-episode series will debut globally on October 11 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through November 15.

Disclaimer, written and directed by Cuarón, is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Renée Knight. It follows journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett), who is known for exposing the misdeeds of others. She is shocked to receive a novel from an unknown author that reveals her darkest secrets, making her the main character in the story.

Source: BBC News, Focus Features, Apple TV+