There has, somewhat astonishingly, never been a British production of Tracy Letts’ all-time classic August: Osage County. The original US production transferred to the National Theatre, and the classic 2013 film included a couple of big name British actors, but there’s never been a domestic production before – in part, one suspects, because it’s three-and-a-half hours long and requires an enormous cast.
For its twentieth anniversary, the 2007 drama about an addled, acidic Oklahoma family devouring itself over the course of a month finally gets a Brit production , which will be directed by Jeremy Herrin – who loves a meaty US epic – and will star Lesley Manville as prescripton medication addicted matriarch Violet Weston and Anna Maxwell-Martin as her controlling daughter Barbara. That leaves a lot of roles uncast, and while it would be reasonably to expect hugh names Manville and Maxwell-Martin to be the the most famous ensemble members, expect some talented actors to fill out the numerous other roles.
