Steve Coogan to star in Armando Iannucci's Dr Strangelove adaptation
The production will be on for a limited run next year.
Steve Coogan is not only set to hit our screens in upcoming drama The Reckoning, but he's also set to take to the stage in a brand new adaptation of Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
The theatre production has been billed as the first-ever adaptation of not only the classic 1964 war satire, but any of Stanley Kubrick's works.
Coogan will star in the play, which will be on for a limited run in London’s Noël Coward Theatre from next October through to December.
Armando Iannucci (Veep) and Sean Foley will be at the helm of the play, with Foley set to direct and Coogan set to appear in multiple roles.
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The original film follows an American general who puts the world on the verge of catastrophe when he orders an attack on the Soviet Union.
It leads to a war council trying to put a halt to it before it is too late, and stars Peter Sellers in three roles, including the title character.
Coogan is set to deliver a similar performance as Sellers, taking on several portrayals, although details have been kept under wraps for now.
On the announcement of the play, Coogan said: "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…
"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."
Writing on Twitter (which has recently rebranded as X), Iannucci said: "Can’t wait to get started. We’re all hoping to send people home with a smile and a scream."
As for the nearer future, Coogan fans will soon be able to see him take on a very different role as Jimmy Savile in BBC drama The Reckoning, which will trace Savile's life through the decades, and plans to "use drama's unique ability to place events in their emotional and historical context".
He's set to feature in the series alongside Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Mark Stanley (Happy Valley) and Siobhan Finneran (The Stranger).
But speaking out about the show amid ongoing controversy surrounding its subject matter, Coogan told The Radio Times Podcast: "It is controversial and I understand that. The BBC are damned if they do and damned if they don't, and I believe the correct choice is to be damned if they do."
He added: "Broadly, it's better to talk about something than not. The team had the right attitude and it was done with the cooperation of survivors. I think when it's broadcast, it will vindicate itself."
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb will be coming to the Noël Coward Theatre in London from 8th October 2024.
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