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Spacey meets Darwin at Old Vic as clash over evolution hits the stage
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent05.06.09
Kevin Spacey will return to the Old Vic stage this autumn to star in Inherit The Wind, a drama inspired by a courtroom clash over the ideas of Charles Darwin.
The theatre's artistic director will play Henry Drummond, an American lawyer who seeks to defend a teacher accused of breaking state law by teaching evolution to his students.
The play is a thinly disguised rendition of the 1925 Scopes Monkey trial, in which Tennessee teacher John Scopes was taken to court for discussing evolution in class. It prompted fierce courtroom debate between Clarence Darrow - the Drummond character - and prosecution counsel William Jennings Bryan.
Although the play is more than half a century old, Spacey said its topicality was acute in the 150th anniversary year of the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species.
"I just think it's one of the great plays about ideas, and obviously these issues are still in the forefront of lots of debate and discussion from stem cell research on," he said. "It not only gives us the opportunity to do a great piece of theatre but opens up the educational department to have lots of younger generations exploring these ideas too."
The play was written in 1955 and turned into a film in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly.
The production will see Spacey reunited with Trevor Nunn for the first time since their acclaimed Richard II four years ago. It will be his first on-stage appearance since opening in Speed-the-Plow in February last year, although he directed The Norman Conquests at the end of the year.
The second play in Spacey's fifth season in charge of the Old Vic will be Six Degrees of Separation directed by David Grindley. The drama by John Guare tells the story of a con artist who persuades affluent New Yorkers he is the son of the actor Sidney Poitier.
Guare visited the Old Vic six weeks ago to see the theatre and discuss what will be the first revival in London in almost 18 years.
Spacey is in Canada filming Casino Jack, about a Washington lobbyist. He is to attend the Tony Awards in New York on Sunday where The Norman Conquests has seven nominations. He will return to London for the opening of The Bridge Project at the Old Vic, in which Sam Mendes is directing a cast including Simon Russell Beale, Rebecca Hall, Sinead Cusack and Ethan Hawke in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov.
Spacey will slot in another film, a comedy called Father of Invention, before starting rehearsals for Inherit the Wind.
Reader views (9)
"We're still waiting for actual scientific evidence of Darwin's theory"
No, we're not.
- Simon Smith, London
So glad that Kevin is keeping busy with both film parts & theater work !Always choosing intriguing characters to play to suit his great versatility ,Have not seen him for a while so will be looking forward to his recent work v.much! Applaud him for saving the OLD VIC!!!we must not forget that!Put Brits to shame ~he is an American & it took him to do it! Cheers!
- Cynthia Watson, Comox b.c. CANADA
We're still waiting for actual scientific evidence of Darwin's theory..... Sounds good though. Good material for a play ot two. Even a film, maybe.
- Haskey, London SE1
Good to see that Kevin is keeping busy God Bless you my friend!
- Richard Lewis, Maynardville, Tn U.S.A.
1.Why do America feel we are in our last
days?
2.Standing righteous is my life,could we as a hold
convince the world to come to the table?
- Esau, hallandale beach,Fl.
"Darwin's Origin of Species"
It is a wonderful topic for update including modern understandings and concepts! All good stuff
- Gary Looney, Menindee - Australia
For the record, Kevin Spacey does not direct Ayckbourne's "The Norman conquests". It's Matthew Warchus.
- Holly, Lausanne Switzerland
Sounds like a good play, WR Stevenson. Why don't you wright it?
- Bloke, London
The play is an inversion of the motives for the original trial. William Jennings Bryan was trying to slow down the Eugenics movement - which rested heavily on Darwin's ideas. And Scopes did not even turn up to teach the topic on the day the topic was scheduled to be taught! The trial was pure political posturing from start to finish. Some connection with reality in the new version of the play would be nice!
- W R Stevenson, London SE26
