Royal Court Theatre revives Arnold Wesker classic
- Published
Dominic Cooke took over as Artistic Director at the Royal Court in 2006
Arnold Wesker's acclaimed play Chicken Soup with Barley is returning to London's Royal Court Theatre after more than 50 years.
The play, the first in a trilogy penned by Wesker, follows a Jewish family living in London's East End.
It originally premiered at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in 1958, transferring to the Royal Court in the same year.
The new revival will be directed by Artistic Director Dominic Cooke.
Cooke, who is behind the award-winning production of Clybourne Park, previously won two Olivier awards for The Crucible at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Actress Samantha Spiro will star as matriarch Sarah Khan - a woman struggling to keep her family together against the backdrop of 20 years of political turbulence.
Spiro recently won the Best Female Comedy Breakthrough award for her part in the BBC One sitcom Grandma's House.
The theatre has also announced the launch of the Harold Pinter Playwright's Award.
The award, granted by Pinter's widow, Lady Antonia Fraser, will fund a new annual commission at the Royal Court, with the inaugural award set to be announced later this year.
Chicken Soup with Barley will open at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs on Friday 3 June.