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Ludwig and The Crown stars unite for "landmark family drama" on stage
The show has been missing from the West End for nearly 20 years.
Oliver Rosser, FEAST
- Olivia Garrett
Published: Friday, 17 July 2026 at 12:58 pm
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Ludwig and Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin is teaming up with The Crown's Lesley Manville to appear in "one of the defining plays of the 21st century" in early 2027.
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The two actresses will be starring in Tracy Letts's August: Osage County, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning show which made its landmark UK premiere at the National Theatre in 2008.
The story follows the dysfunctional Weston family, who must reunite after a sudden crisis. Flung together in their Oklahoma home, old wounds reopen and long-buried secrets come to light.
Letts's play has never been revived, although it was adapted into a 2013 film directed by John Wells, featuring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.
Now, however, it returns to London's Noël Coward Theatre from 18 January to 10 April 2027, directed by Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things and Wolf Hall).
Lesley Manville recently appeared on stage in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Sarah Lee
Manville, who has not long been away from the stage after starring in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre, is set to play Violet Weston, while Maxwell Martin plays Barbara Fordham.
Following the announcement Manville said: “I’m delighted to be taking on August: Osage County with Jeremy Herrin directing. It’s an epic piece of American literature written by the truly great Tracy Letts.
"It has not been seen in London for almost 20 years, so I cannot wait to bring this complex, funny, tragic, ultimate family saga to the West End and create the matriarch, Violet Weston.”
Director Jeremy Herrin continued: “August: Osage County is one of the great plays of our time, and it firmly places Tracy Letts as heir to O’Neill, Miller and Williams in the continuum of the best American playwrights.
"It’s a darkly funny and gripping family drama that transcends its form. As a brilliant actor himself and long-standing member of Steppenwolf, Tracy knows how to write for actors. I’m excited to bring together a fantastic ensemble for the first major revival of this play."
Tickets go on sale at 12pm (noon) on Friday 17 July with further casting yet to be announced.
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Olivia Garrett
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