Embers, a new play by Christopher Hampton (Sunset Boulevard, Les Liaisons Dangereuses) starring Jeremy Irons, will begin performances at the Duke of York's Theatre
on February 15th, 2006 and open on March 1st. The show will mark the first
full-scale London production in which Irons has performed since 1986.Embers is helmed by Tony Award-winner Michael Blakemore (Copenhagen, Kiss Me, Kate). Irons plays Henrik in the show, which is based on a novel by Sandor Marai and also features Jean Boht and Patrick Malahide."Exploring themes of love, friendship and betrayal, Embers is set in war
torn Europe in 1940, in a Hungarian castle, where retired general
Henrik awaits the arrival of Konrad, a friend (Malahide) he has not seen for
several decades," according to press notes. "The fateful day was over 30 years before when Konrad had abruptly
deserted a hunting party he was on with his lifelong friend Henrik. The
following day Konrad mysteriously fled Vienna leaving behind his two
inseparable friends - Henrik and his beautiful wife Kriztina (Boht). The
passing of so many years has not dulled Henrik's memory of that day nor
answered the questions that still haunt him."
Irons' last major West End appearance was in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1986 production of Richard II. The actor, who was recently seen as King Arthur in the Hollywood Bowl concert of Camelot, has also appeared in The Taming of the Shrew, The Winter's Tale, The Rover, a 1987 concert production of My Fair Lady, the 1991 New York City Opera production of A Little Night Music and a one-night-only staging of A Soldier's Tale at Trafalgar Studios, among others. He received a 1984 Tony Award for his performance in The Real Thing. His many film credits include Betrayal, M. Butterfly, Stealing Beauty, the Adrian Lyne remake of Lolita, The Lion King (as the voice of Scar), The Time Machine, The Merchant of Venice and Being Julia. Irons won a 1991 Academy Award for his work in Reversal of Fortune.
