Adrian Lester returns to London's West End to star in 'Cyrano de Bergerac'

"It's been a while since Adrian Lester graced the London stage: the only thing he's done this decade is the low key post-pandemic show , at the Almeida, back in 2021. But after scoring great notices in the RSC's Stratford-upon-Avon production of Edmond Rostand's panache-tastic romance Cyrano de Bergerac , the screen star - still possibly best known for his starring role in - will return to the West End for the first time in a decade later this year when Simon Evans' production heads to the Noël Coward Theatre."

"Co-starring the wonderful Susannah Fielding as Roxane, the true love of the gorgeously poetic but outwardly ugly Cyrano, the production is, by all accounts, a lot more traditional than Jamie Lloyd's raptastic James McAvoy-starring production of a few years back. It's a proper period production, and Lester's Cyrano has a big old prosthetic nose. Nonetheless, it's an updated version by Evans and the poet Debris Stevenson, and Stratford reviews praised its tough heart, lack of chintz, and terrific performance from Lester as a Cyrano gripped with self-loathing."

Adrian Lester returns to the West End after nearly a decade, following a 2021 Almeida appearance and strong notices for the RSC's Stratford production of Cyrano de Bergerac. Simon Evans' updated staging transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre with Susannah Fielding as Roxane. The production presents a period approach, including a large prosthetic nose for Lester's Cyrano, and contrasts with a more modern earlier production starring James McAvoy. Evans and poet Debris Stevenson collaborated on the update. Stratford reviews praised the production's emotional core, lack of ornamentation, and Lester's portrayal of a self-loathing Cyrano. Tickets go on sale Feb 6 at 10am.

Read at Time Out London