Steve Coogan to star in Dr Strangelove play
- Steve Coogan will play multiple roles in the October to December 2024 stage adaptation of Dr Strangelove
- He says: "Knowing that I will be part of a creative team led by Sean Foley and Armando Iannucci means I will be working with the best people"
- "The idea of putting Dr Strangelove on stage is daunting. A huge responsibility. It's also an exciting challenge"
Steve Coogan will take the lead roles in Dr Strangelove, the stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick's iconic 1964 film.
Due to launch in London's West End at the Noël Coward Theatre in October 2024, the play has been worked on by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley.
Starring Peter Sellers in multiple roles, Dr Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb was released in cinemas in 1964. It tells the story of a rogue US general who triggers a nuclear crisis and has been described as "an explosively funny satire of mutually assured destruction".
Steve Coogan says: "The idea of putting Dr Strangelove on stage is daunting. A huge responsibility. It's also an exciting challenge, an opportunity to bring this timeless classic to a new audience. Knowing that I will be part of a creative team led by Sean Foley and Armando Iannucci means I will be working with the best people. Sean is a master of stage comedy and Armando and I started working with each other over 30 years ago. We made some memorable comedy together so it's great to be collaborating with him once again."
Sean Foley comments: "I'm thrilled and excited to finally be able to say that one of our very finest actor-comedians, the amazingly talented Steve Coogan, is to play the lead in our world premiere stage version of Dr Strangelove. Across stand-up, sitcom, TV, and film, and in both comic and dramatic roles, Steve has excelled being able to make people belly laugh even while they wince - sensing the maladroit, the madness, and the menace in his extraordinary characters... I can think of no better actor to convey the 'nightmare comedy' of Strangelove."
Armando Iannucci adds: "It's a tale of our time and it needs one of the most amazing talents of our time to tell it: I've seen Steve Coogan close-up for many years now, and can tell you that no-one gets right under the skin of a character the way he does. There's a total focus on how each character would speak and move and even think, added to which is an instinctive comic timing and dramatic charisma that's second to none. He's able to get huge audiences to connect with the vulnerabilities and fine details of each character he brings to life. We're all so delighted he'll be bringing these amazing gifts to the stage for the hugely contrasting roles in Dr Strangelove and I for one can't wait to see Steve make them his own. It's going to be a thrill for all of us."
Dr Strangelove will run from 8th October to 21st December 2024, with tickets on sale Wednesday via drstrangelove.com