Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole will appear in a new production of Harold Pinter's play The Homecoming at the Young Vic, it has been announced.
He will star opposite Chernobyl star Jared Harris, who is returning to the stage for the first time in 17 years. Cole, who himself has not taken on a stage role since 2011, said he was “thrilled” to join the project.
“I cannot wait to return to the stage after all these years and bring this beast to life,” he added. The production will run at the Young Vic from 27 November until 27 January.
Written by Pinter in 1964 and first staged the following year, The Homecoming follows a family of butchers and boxers who live in a small house in London. When academic son Teddy returns home from the US after six years, with a wife his family have never met, a power struggle ensues between man, wife and in-laws.
The play, which was also staged in Bath last year in a different production starring Keith Allen, deals with themes of power, loneliness, violence and confused sexuality. Cole, who played John Shelby in Peaky Blinders and has also appeared in Gangs of London, will take on the role of Lenny, while Harris will play Max.
Harris won a Bafta in 2020 for his performance in the critically acclaimed HBO series and has also appeared in Mad Men and The Crown, playing King George VI in the latter. Both actors have received acclaim for their work in recent years. The Guardian has said of Cole: “He has become one of those actors whose presence is usually an indication of quality.”
In a review of Chernobyl, the LA Times said: “Tragic roles seem to find Harris, likely because he's a master at conveying grace under pressure while internally imploding, then eventually self-destructing or disappearing altogether.”
Asked what attracted him to the production, Harris said: “In a word, Pinter. And The Young Vic is a great venue.” Harris's Chernobyl co-star Robert Emms will also appear in the play, along with actress Lisa Diveney as Ruth – a character she described as a “Pinter puzzle” that she was “looking forward to piecing together”.
“She's an unpredictable woman who isn't afraid to say no, or yes, and in that respect I hope a modern audience can empathise with her,” she said.
“But if they don't, I don't think Ruth would care. She's a character who ultimately wants independence and happiness at the expense of men.” The show will be directed by Olivier-nominated Matthew Dunster, who has also helmed 2:22 – A Ghost Story and The Pillowman.
Dunster said: “I've always loved Pinter's work. He can take working class situations and hone them into something really poetic, crystalised and potent.
“His plays are about patriarchal force and what it takes to resist that, whether at home or in the state.
“The Homecoming encapsulates this and poses big, universal questions about power. I'm excited by the challenge of this play and I can't wait to return to the Young Vic.”
— CutC by bbc.com
