Cast Set for Emma Rice's NORTH BY NORTHWEST at The Huntington

The Huntington has announced the cast and creative team of an inventive stage adaptation of the acclaimed spy thriller, North by Northwest, adapted and directed with humor and cinematic flair by Emma Rice.

An Emma Rice Company, Kay & McLean Productions, and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions co-production based on the Turner Entertainment Co film North By Northwest, this North American tour will run at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) from Thursday, January 21 to Sunday, February 7, 2027.

Theatre legend Emma Rice helms a high-velocity take on the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest in an acclaimed production hailed as "glorious” (The Times of London) and “effortlessly chic” (The Daily Mail). When ad man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a Cold War spy, he goes on the run dodging airplanes, bad guys, and a femme fatale who may not be what she seems. With seven shape-shifting performers, a swinging '50s soundtrack, and the iconic backdrop of Mount Rushmore, Rice transforms the beloved thriller into a riotously funny high-speed theatrical ride.

“I am thrilled, excited, and perhaps a little apprehensive to bring the iconic North by Northwest home to the US!” says producer Emma Rice. “I just hope that American audiences will love it as much as our British audiences did. What I am not apprehensive about is bringing its message: one of nations coming together in peace and friendship to make the world a better place. I think we can all raise a glass to that! And Boston, a place brimming with history and cultural energy, is the perfect fit for this timely piece. Expect sparks and larks as we bring our British humour to this American masterpiece. Boston, here we come!”

North by Northwest was originally co-produced in the UK by Emma Rice Company (then called Wise Children), York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, and Alexandra Palace Theatre in 2025. Since its premiere, the production has been produced around the UK and is now on its North American tour, playing at San Diego's Old Globe and San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre in fall 2026 before coming to The Huntington for its East Coast premiere in Boston in early 2027. The San Diego Union-Tribune called the US tour “funny and frequently dazzling!”

The original film, released in 1959 and starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, is regarded as one of Hitchcock's finest, following an innocent man as he's pursued cross-country in a case of mistaken identity that threatens to become deadly at any moment. The film is perhaps most famous for its Bernard Hermann score, and for scenes of Grant being chased by a small airplane in a cornfield and a climax that has the characters scurrying down the faces of Mount Rushmore, both of which have proved to be some of the most iconic visuals in cinematic history.

It's particularly exciting to welcome a Hitchcock adaptation back to The Huntington. In 2007, The Huntington produced the United States premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps directed by Maria Aitken, which later went on to be nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two. At the time, The Boston Globe lauded the production as a “triumph of imagination.” Audiences who loved The Huntington's hit production of The 39 Steps can expect a similarly inventive, fast-paced theatrical experience in North by Northwest, with a small cast transforming into a myriad of characters.

Emma Rice's North by Northwest is part of The Huntington Selects, a series of curated touring productions The Huntington partners with to bring exciting and unique experiences to Boston audiences. This series is offered as an add-on to The Huntington's subscription season, and Huntington FlexPass holders are able to redeem their tickets for these performances and events. Past Selects productions include: Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, Kim's Convenience, My First Ex-Husband, The RESET, Mindplay, and Yippee Ki Yay.

The cast of North by Northwest includes:

Danny Collins as Roger Thornhill, an ad executive. Credits include: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max, Singin' in the Rain at Manchester Royal Exchange, and Titus Andronicus at RSC Swan Theatre.

Evangeline Dickson as Mrs. Townsend, Lester Townsend's wife; and Assistant Director and understudy. Credits include: Crooked House on Netflix, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and Doctor Who: Time Fracture on the West End.

Patrycja Kujawska as Eve Kendall, a woman who crosses paths with Roger Thornhill on a train, and others. Credits include: the US and UK tours of Tristan and Yseult, The Tin Drum at Shakespeare's Globe, and Don John at RSC.

Simon Oskarsson as Valerian, one of Vandamm's spies, and others. Credits include: Emma Rice's A Child's Christmas in Wales, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and Hadestown on the West End.

Katy Owen as The Professor, a narrator, and others. Credits include: the film Cyrano, Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe, and the UK tour of North by Northwest.

Bryony Pennington as Anna, one of Vandamm's spies, and others. Credits include: Les Liaisons Dangereuses at The National Theatre, Romeo and Juliet with Matthew Bourne's New Adventures, and Until the Lions with Opéra national du Rhin Ballet.

Karl Queensborough as Phillip Vandamm, a spy, and others. Credits include: Hamilton on the West End, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and The Little Match Girl at Shakespeare's Globe.

The creative team for North by Northwest includes set and Costume Designer Rob Howell, composer and sound designer Simon Baker, lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth, choreographer, movement director, and intimacy coordinator Etta Murfitt, and creative consultant Mark Kaufman.

TICKETS

Tickets to in-person performances start at $35 and are on sale:

• Online at huntingtontheatre.org
• By phone at 617-266-0800
• Or in person at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) or Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont St)

Select discounts apply:

• $40 HYPE tickets for patrons 40 years old and younger (valid ID required)
• $29 student and military tickets (valid ID required)
• $29 rush tickets (1 hour prior to curtain, subject to availability)

The Huntington asks that any patron experiencing COVID symptoms stay home and contact ticketing services for more information about exchanges.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST SPECIAL EVENTS

“Stage & Screen” North by Northwest at Coolidge Corner: Monday, January 18 at 7pm

The Huntington and Coolidge Corner continue their “Stage & Screen” collaboration with a 7pm showing of the Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller starring Cary Grant on Monday, January 18 at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA.