Male role

Sigourney Weaver as Prospero on London’s West End

(Bild: APA/STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)

Hollywood star Sigourney Weaver ("Alien") will appear for the first time in a production of a play by William Shakespeare in London's West End. It was announced on Tuesday that the 74-year-old will take on the role of Prospero in a new production of "The Tempest" at the end of the year.

The fact that Weaver, who was last seen on screen in 2022 in the fantasy epic "Avatar: The Way of Water", is playing the role of Prospero is likely to cause a stir. Because Prospero is usually played by a man. "I'm delighted to be making my West End debut under the direction of the brilliant Jamie Lloyd," said Weaver in a statement. "Come and watch us!"

"Much ado about nothing"
Afterwards, film stars Tom Hiddleston ("The Avengers") and Hayley Atwell ("Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning") will take to the stage in "Much Ado About Nothing".

Director Lloyd
Both plays are part of an upcoming Shakespeare season at the long-established Theatre Royal Drury Lane, owned by musical icon Andrew Lloyd Webber, and will be staged by renowned director Jamie Lloyd. "The Tempest" premieres on December 7 and will run until February 1, 2025. "Much Ado About Nothing" runs from February 10 to April 5, 2025.

Director Lloyd, whose recent productions include "Sunset Boulevard" with Nicole Scherzinger and "Romeo and Juliet" with Tom Holland, is known for his modern, expressionistic productions with minimalist sets. With Hiddleston (43), he staged Harold Pinter's "Betrayal" in London a few years ago.