Actor Steve Coogan will star in a stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick's film Dr Strangelove by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley and directed by Foley at London's Noël Coward Theatre from October 2024.
Kubrick's 1964 jet-black comedy about a rogue US General who triggers a nuclear crisis originally starred Peter Sellers in several different roles, including the US President, a stiff-upper-lipped British Group Captain who tried to talk the General out of his suicide mission and the titular mad scientist.
Coogan said, “the idea of putting Dr Strangelove on stage is daunting. A huge responsibility. It’s also an exciting challenge, an opportunity to bring this timeless classic to a new audience. Knowing that I will be part of a creative team led by Sean Foley and Armando Iannucci means I will be working with the best people. Sean is a master of stage comedy and Armando and I started working with each other over 30 years ago. We made some memorable comedy together so it’s great to be collaborating with him once again.”
Iannucci added, “it’s a tale of our time and it needs one of the most amazing talents of our time to tell it: I’ve seen Steve Coogan close-up for many years now, and can tell you that no-one gets right under the skin of a character the way he does. There’s a total focus on how each character would speak and move and even think, added to which is an instinctive comic timing and dramatic charisma that’s second to none. He’s able to get huge audiences to connect with the vulnerabilities and fine details of each character he brings to life.”
Dr Strangelove will run at the Noël Coward Theatre from 8 October to 21 December 2024. Tickets are on sale from Wednesday 27 September 2023, with priority booking from 12PM on Tuesday 26 for anyone signing up before 10AM on that day at the production's web site.