Chichester taps Cattrall

Regional theater giant Chichester Festival Theater can have two world premieres, the 76th play from legendary Brit scribe Alan Ayckbourn ("The Norman Conquests") together with a string of classic revivals plus a output of "Antony and Nefertiti" starring Kim Cattrall. Among the preems is "An Excellent Year For Apples," a completely new thriller by Hugh Whitemore occur 1956 through the political turmoil in the Suez crisis, which introduced Britain for the fringe of war. Helmed by Philip Hotdogs, the expansion runs May 11-June 2 getting a May 17 press evening. Meanwhile, playwright Michael Wynne, whose Royal Court play "The Priory" parcelled up this year's Olivier to get the best comedy, makes his Chichester debut with "Canvas." A comedy three couples around the camping holiday discovering that the rural idyll isn't the simplest approach to avoid everything, show is directed by Angus Jackson and runs inside the Minerva Studio May 18-June 16 getting a May 24 press evening. Ayckbourn will direct their very own play "Surprises" following its premiere earlier around at his home venue, the Stephen Ernest Theater in Scarborough. A comedy set afterwards, it examines an interconnected group whose anticipation about love are overturned. The play will run along with Ayckbourn's own revival of his 1972 hit "Absurd Person Singular," while using two-play egagement set to function August. 8-Sept. 8. Really the only tuner round the slate can be a new staging of "Hug Me Kate" helmed by Trevor Nunn. Running June 18-Sept. 1, the musical is choreographed by Stephen Mear ("Mary Poppins"). Opening the summer season can be a new output of Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" (March 30-April 28). Helmed by Jeremy Herrin -- whose Chichester output of "South Downs" will get in free air travel Finish in April -- "Vanya" stars Roger Allam, Dervla Kirwin and Timothy West. That's then new productions of William Congreve's Restoration comedy "The obvious method of the earth,In . helmed by Rachel Kavanaugh, and "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui," directed by Chichester a.d. Jonathan Chapel and starring Henry Goodman. Derek Jacobi leads Richard Clifford's new output of George Bernard Shaw's "Heartbreak House," because the Cattrall-toplined "Antony and Nefertiti," initially produced at Liverpool's Everyman Theater this season now co-starring Michael Pennington, runs Sept. 7-29. Helmed by Jesse Suzman, the expansion is presently eying a later West Finish berth. The summer season is rounded offered by Anna Chancellor and Toby Stephens starring in Jonathan Kent's new output of Noel Coward's "Private Lives" (Sept. 21-March. 27). Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com