Amando Iannucci and Sean Foley Seek Shape-Shifting Comic Actor for DR. STRANGELOVE

The world premiere stage production of his timeless classic Dr. Strangelove will open in the West End in Autumn 2024, marking the first adaptation of Stanley Kubrik's iconic work.

This jet-black comedy masterpiece, about a rogue U.S. General who triggers a nuclear crisis, is brought to the stage by acclaimed, BAFTA and Emmy Award winner Armando Iannucci and Olivier Award winner Sean Foley in an explosively funny satire of mutually assured destruction. Sean Foley will also direct.

In an interview with BBC News, Sean Foley said: “They’ve got to be a great comic actor, of which we have very many. They’ve got to be of that shape-shifting kind of quality."

“It’s going to be a really tough gig. I’m sure some people, when we approach them, are going to go, ‘No way, I’m not going to be compared with Peter Sellers in those roles.'”

Read the full interview with Foley and Iannucci here.

Dr. Strangelove is produced by Patrick Myles and David Luff, in association with Tulchin Bartner Productions and Playful Productions.

Armando Iannucci is a writer and broadcaster who has written, directed and produced numerous critically acclaimed films, television and radio comedy shows.

His screenplay for the film In The Loop was nominated for an Oscar at the Academy Awards. His iconic series for the BBC – The Thick of It – was nominated for 13 BAFTA Awards, winning 5 during its four series run. Among his own award-winning shows, he is also the co-creator and writer of the popular Steve Coogan character Alan Partridge.

Armando's HBO comedy Veep has picked up numerous awards, including four Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series over the last four years. His film adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Personal History of David Copperfield was released in January 2020, which has won numerous awards including Best screenplay at the WGBA and Best Screenplay at BIFA, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a Seal Distinction from the US Critics' Choice Association.

In 2017 he published Hear Me Out, a new book on classical music, and released the feature film The Death of Stalin, which was nominated for 2 BAFTAs and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards. The second season of HBO's Avenue 5, which stars Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad, aired in 2022.

Sean Foley is an actor, writer and director. A double Olivier Award-winner and Tony nominee, his work - as lead creative on 14 West End shows: as co-writer/star; writer/director; adaptor/director; and director - has also been Olivier nominated multiple times. He has - uniquely - been personally nominated in the acting, writing and directing categories.

Theatre credits include: The Crown Jewels at The Garrick Theatre, Spitting Image The Musical, (co-writer and director; Birmingham Rep and Phoenix Theatre); the Olivier nominated The Upstart Crow, (director, Gielgud and Apollo), starring David Mitchell and Gemma Whelan; The Play What I Wrote, (co-writer/director), first major revival guest starring Tom Hiddleston, Adrian Lester, et al; ; his Olivier Award winning production of Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, (Duke of Yorks), starring Stephen Mangan and Matthew Macfadyen; Olivier Award nominated The Miser, (co-writer and director, Garrick Theatre), starring Griff Rhys Jones; The Painkiller, in Kenneth Branagh's West End season, (as adaptor/director, Garrick Theatre), starring Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon; the 5 times Olivier nominated The Ladykillers (as director and script associate), including Best Director, Best New Play and Whatsonstage Award for Best New Comedy, Gielgud, starring Peter Capaldi; the Olivier nominated, Arturo Brachetti: Change, (as writer/director, Garrick); the Olivier Award winning Do You Come Here Often? (as co-writer and actor, Vaudeville); the Olivier Award winning The Play What I Wrote, (as co-writer and actor - further jointly nominated as Best Actor, Wyndham's). The play was also Tony Award nominated on its Broadway transfer); the Olivier Award nominated, Ducktastic, (as co-writer and actor, Albery). The Walworth Farce, with Brendan, Domhnall and Brian Gleeson, Olympia Theatre, Dublin.

Further directing work includes: The Man In The White Suit, (as writer/director, Wyndhams), starring Stephen Mangan; The Dresser, (Duke of York's); his RSC debut, adapting and directing Thomas Middleton's A Mad World My Masters, (Swan Theatre, Stratford, and Barbican); Harry Hill and Steve Brown's, I Can't Sing! at The London Palladium, starring Cynthia Erivo; Present Laughter, The Critic, and The Real Inspector Hound, (Chichester Festival Theatre); Joe Orton's What The Butler Saw, (Vaudeville); Ben Hur, (Watermill); Pinter's People, (Theatre Royal, Haymarket); as writer only, his adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's Amedee, or How To Get Rid Of It, debuted at Birmingham Rep.

Sean has also directed the live shows of leading comedians, including: Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress, (Leicester Square); Armstrong and Miller Live (UK Tour); Catherine Tate Live (UK and Australian Tour)

As co-artistic director of the right size, he created, co-wrote and starred in ten original stage comedies 1990 to 2000. The company played in over 25 countries around the world, winning many international awards.

His feature film directing debut, Mindhorn, written by and starring Julian Barratt & Simon Farnaby, was first seen at the London Film Festival and won the London Film Comedy Award for Best First Feature. TV directing includes episodes of Sky's anthology series, Urban Myths: Marilyn and Billy, starring Gemma Arterton; and, Diana and Freddy.

Sean is the Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

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