Kristin Scott Thomas Will Lead THE CHERRY ORCHARD, Directed by Ian Rickson

The BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning actor Kristin Scott Thomas (Electra, Slow Horses, Four Weddings and a Funeral) will reunite with renowned director Ian Rickson (Uncle Vanya, Jerusalem, The Weir) for Conor McPherson's (The Weir, Girl from the North Country, Uncle Vanya) new adaptation of The Cherry Orchard, playing the role of Lyubov Ranevskaya. The production will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 3 October 2026 until 9 January 2027, with press night on 13 October. Further casting will be announced in due course.

Ian Rickson and Kristin Scott Thomas reunite to bring another Chekhov classic to the stage, with Scott Thomas having previously played Arkadian in Rickson's acclaimed production of The Seagull which ran both in London and on Broadway; a role for which Kristin won the Olivier Award for Best Actress. 

Kristin has most recently won the inaugural Leading Light Award at the Women's Prize for Playwriting ceremony, which took place earlier this year. The award recognises the lifetime achievement by a woman in the arts with an “enduring influence, a distinguished body of work and an outstanding contribution to culture”. Other award wins and nominations include: a BAFTA and Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Four Weddings and a Funeral, a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Darkest Hour, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for The English Patient.

Kristin Scott Thomas said “returning to The Pinter with Chekhov is like coming home to a piece of theatre that is endlessly alive. Conor McPherson's new adaptation brings a fresh, urgent energy to The Cherry Orchard; and I am excited to be exploring Chekhov's utterly brilliant and beautiful examination of the human heart with our director Ian Rickson.”

About The Cherry Orchard

When Lyubov Ranevskaya returns to her childhood estate after years abroad, she finds her family home and beloved cherry orchard under threat.

As old loyalties falter and new ambitions rise, a world of privilege begins to crumble. Can Lyubov embrace the future, or will the pull of memory prove impossible to escape?