13 January – 11 February

A new production of Edward Albee’s scintillating drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens at the Ustinov Studio at the Theatre Royal Bath with the cast led by Hollywood stars Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ragtime) and Dougray Scott (Enigma, Mission: Impossible 2). Directed by Lindsay Posner, the cast is completed by Charles Aitken (RSC’s Coriolanus, The Lazarus Project) and Gina Bramhill (The Flatshare, Silent Witness).

This multi award-winning masterpiece is set during the course of one night when George, a college professor, and his wife, Martha, invite a young couple back for late-night drinks after a faculty party. As the alcohol flows, the guests are coerced into witnessing and participating in George and Martha’s sadistic game-playing and vitriolic verbal scrapping which reaches its climax in a momentous revelation. 

First staged on Broadway in 1962, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? was soon established as one of the great plays in post-war American drama, winner of the Tony and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best New Play. Its reputation was further enhanced by Mike Nichols’ multi Academy Award winning 1966 film adaptation, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Sixty years on from its premiere, it is now seen as one of the most influential and highly regarded plays in American literature.

Elizabeth McGovern stars as Martha. In a career spanning theatre, film, television and music, Elizabeth made her film debut in Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford, whilst studying at New York’s Juilliard School in 1980. For her role in Ragtime with James Cagney in 1981, she received nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Well known on television as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham in all six series of Downton Abbey, Elizabeth also starred in the films Downton Abbey in 2019 and Downton Abbey: A New Era in 2022. Her many film credits also include Once Upon A Time In America, The Handmaid’s Tale, Clash Of The Titans, Racing With The Moon and Buffalo Soldiers. Recently she appeared in The Wife with Jonathan Pryce and Glenn Close, Julian Fellowes’s The Chaperone and played Helen Brown in War of the Worlds. Her theatre credits include Three Days Of Rain at the Donmar, Sunset at the Villa Thalia at the National Theatre, The Misanthrope at the Young Vic and Time And The Conways on Broadway. She won the 2013 Will Award from the Shakespeare Theatre Company. At Bath’s Theatre Royal previously, she starred in the comedy God Of Carnage in 2018, before returning in 2020 prior to a UK tour. Last year, Elizabeth starred in her own stage adaptation of Peter Evans’ memoir Ava, The Secret Conversations at London’s Riverside Studios, which transfers to The Geften Theatre in Los Angeles in 2023. Elizabeth also fronts and writes songs for the band Sadie and the Hotheads, who have toured the USA and the UK.

Dougray Scott, who stars as George, has built a celebrated career across film, television and theatre. His many screen credits include the roles of Arthur Miller in My Week With Marilyn, Sir Matt Busby in United, Sean Ambrose in Mission: Impossible 2 and Ian Hainsworth in Desperate Housewives. He recently won an International Emmy Award and a Scottish BAFTA Award for his performance as Detective Inspector Ray Lennox in ITV’s drama Crime. His theatre credits include Indigo at the Almeida Theatre, The Power And The Glory at Chichester Festival Theatre, To The Green Fields Beyond at the Donmar Warehouse and Becket in the West End. His television credits also include Batwoman, Snatch, The Replacement, Doctor Who, The Day Of The Triffids, The Woman In White, Heist, Fear The Walking Dead and Highlander. His extensive film credits also include London Town, The Vatican Tapes, Taken 3, Last Passenger, There Be Dragons, The Poet, Ripley’s Game, Enigma, This Year’s Love and Twin Town. Dougray is soon to appear in Sky’s eight-part drama series A Town Called Malice.

Nick is played by Charles Aitken whose theatre credits include Coriolanus, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra and As You Like It for the RSC; All My Sons at Regent’s Park Theatre; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Manchester Royal Exchange and Northampton’s Royal & Derngate, and Sweet Bird Of Youth at London’s Old Vic. His screen credits include The Lazarus Project, I Hate Suzie, Sleepy Hollow, The Lady Vanishes, Foyle’s War and The Girl On The Train.

Gina Bramhill plays the role of Honey. Her theatre credits include Bad Jews at Bath’s Ustinov Studio in 2014, which transferred to the West End, ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore for Cheek By Jowl and Six Characters In Search Of An Author for Headlong. Her film credits include Northern Comfort, Pleasure Island, Made In Dagenham and Michael Winterbottom’s forthcoming feature, Promised Land. Her television credits include The Flatshare, Kate & Koji, Silent Witness, Father Brown, Sherlock, Black Mirror, Brief Encounters, Endeavour, Being Human and Mr Selfridge.

Lindsay Posner is one of the UK’s most accomplished directors of comedy. He recently directed Noises Off at the Theatre Royal Bath prior to a West End transfer this spring. Lindsay’s many acclaimed West End productions include Hay Fever and Relatively Speaking, both of which also played Bath. At the Theatre Royal, Lindsay has also previously directed She Stoops To Conquer in 2015, The Truth in 2016, God Of Carnage in 2018 and Stones In His Pockets in 2019. He was Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre from 1987 to 1992, where his production of Death and the Maiden transferred to the West End winning two Olivier Awards. In the West End, he has also directed Butley, Abigail’s Party, A View From The Bridge, An Ideal Husband and Uncle Vanya.

One of America’s greatest playwrights, Edward Albee (1928 – 2016) won two Tony Awards and three Pulitzer Prizes; his many other plays include Three Tall Women, The Lady From Dubuque and A Delicate Balance.

Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov