Lily Collins will bid adieu to Paris and join Money Heist‘s Álvaro Morte in London for the pair’s West End stage debuts in Barcelona.
The Emily in Paris star will join Morte in Bess Wohl‘s acclaimed two-character play Barcelona at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the U.K. capital from Oct. 21 to Jan. 11, 2025.
Directed by Lynette Linton (Shifters, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Sweat) and written by American playwright and screenwriter Wohl (Camp Siegfried, Grand Horizons), the play is set on the streets of the Spanish city, where an American woman on a bachelorette weekend plunges recklessly into a one-night stand with a dashing Spaniard. “But during the course of that single, shocking night — by turns funny and dangerous — her romantic fantasy morphs into a complicated game of cat and mouse,” a plot synopsis reads.
The American character, Irene, is played by Collins, and Spanish character Manuel is played by Morte.
“It has been a childhood dream of mind to perform in the West End and I’m hugely excited to make my stage debut in Bess’ exciting play, Barcelona,” Collins said. “Working with this team has truly been a gift and I cannot wait for audiences to be taken on a thrilling journey as the play unravels. I knew the moment I finished reading the script, I had to play Irene.”
Morte added: “The London theater scene is a vibrant and exhilarating canvas for fresh, groundbreaking work. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of this captivating new play, marking my West End debut. I’m looking forward to bringing Barcelona to life and sharing it with audiences.”
Barcelona had its world premiere in 2013 at the People’s Light & Theatre Company in Pennsylvania and its West Coast premiere in 2016 at LA’s Geffen Playhouse, starring Betty Gilpin and Carlos Leal.
The creative team for Barcelona includes set and costume designer Frankie Bradshaw; lighting by Jai Morjaria; composition and sound design by Duramaney Kamara and Xana; video design by Gino Ricardo Green; and wigs, hair and makeup design by Cynthia De La Rosa.
The show is produced by ATG Productions, Bad Robot Live and Gavin Kalin Productions.
