Revisit the starry casts of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'

Ahead of a major West End revival of Edward Albee's play, look back at dynamite past performers like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Summary

• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is coming to the West End's @sohoplace
• The new production is led by Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup
• Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starred in the iconic film
• Other past performers include Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill

When Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup take to the stage in the exciting West End revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? this autumn, they will follow in the footsteps of performers ranging from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill.

The characters of Martha and George, a long-married couple who spring vicious games on their horrified guests in order to process their own misery, are a gift for actors, and it will be thrilling to see how Anderson and Crudup put their stamp on the roles in Marianne Elliott’s production at @sohoplace.

As you prepare to enter the ring with this notorious pair, look back at some of the other powerhouse duos who have tackled Edward Albee’s legendary work.

Book Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Uta Hagen and Arthur Hill (1962)

The originators of these roles, Hagen and Hill played Martha and George in the play’s Broadway premiere at the Billy Rose Theatre, directed by Alan Schneider. The New York Times reviewer described the pair as clawing each other “like jungle beasts”, adding that Hagen made her character “horrifyingly believable”, while Hill was a superb foil for her explosiveness.

Constance Cummings and Ray McAnally (1964)

The first international production opened in London’s West End, at the Piccadilly Theatre, with Hagen and Hill reprising their roles. The pair’s alternates then took over for runs at the Gielgud and Garrick Theatres, as the play continued to be in high demand: American-British Cummings, star of films like Blithe Spirit, and Bafta-winning Irish actor McAnally.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (1966)

Cinema audiences got the fascinating experience of watching a real-life celebrity couple, who had scandalously gotten together during the filming of Cleopatra, play Martha and George in the movie adaptation, directed by Mike Nichols. The film was incredibly well received, winning five Oscars, with reviewers particularly struck by how Taylor reached “the fullest of her powers as Martha”.

Elaine May and Mike Nichols (1980)

The great improv duo-turned-Hollywood icons, whose movies include The Birdcage, Working Girl and Primary Colors, reteamed to star in a 1980 revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in New Haven. The New York Times review described how, for better or worse, the comic pair turned Albee’s play from a “Strindbergian duel of the sexes into a knockabout battle of wits”.

Diana Rigg and David Suchet (1996)

Rigg and Suchet joined forces for a production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Almeida Theatre. It was a hit, transferring to the West End’s Aldwych Theatre. The Independent’s reviewer praised Rigg’s powerful performance, including her “growly, devastating way with the putdowns”, and how she and Suchet conveyed the couple’s “vulnerable dependency upon each other”.

Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin (2005)

This explosive Broadway revival saw Hollywood A-lister Turner sink her teeth into Martha and Irwin prove an immaculate foil to her, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor. The production also transferred to Apollo Theatre in the West End for an encore run. London Theatre’s reviewer wrote that Turner “truly shines at the domineering, mouthy Martha”, while Irwin’s “snake-like George” was equally forceful.

Amy Morton and Tracy Letts (2010)

Two titans of the American stage (Letts is also a Pulitzer-winning playwright) anchored another lauded Broadway revival, which began life at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre. Letts won a Tony for his “electrifying”, per The New York Times, performance as George, “alternating simmering disquiet with bursts of spine-chilling viciousness”. Morton was also heralded for her intriguingly subtle, grief-stricken Martha.

Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill (2017)

This dynamite pair headed up a major West End revival at the Harold Pinter Theatre, directed by James Macdonald. In a five-star review, London Theatre’s critic said they were “shaken to the core” while watching the “utterly ferocious” couple. Staunton, “whose speciality as an actress is to expose raw, undiluted feelings, is both frightened and frightening”, and was matched by Hill’s “no less damaged and damaging” George.

Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup (2026)

This autumn’s revival at @sohoplace sees two stars of stage and screen face off. Anderson has previously impressed as an unforgettable Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and it’s a thrill to see her tackle another iconic role in the American canon. Crudup also has serious theatre chops: his recent work includes two shows in London, Harry Clarke and High Noon. Let battle commence…

Book Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Main photo credit: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (Photo courtesy of the film). Inset: David Suchet and Diana Rigg, Tracy Letts and Amy Morton, Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill (Photos by Geraint Lewis, Michael Brosilow, Johan Persson)