Keira Knightley to make her West End Debut in “The Misanthrope”

The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye reports in his new column/article this week that Keira Knightley will appear in a play called The Misanthrope alongside Damian Lewis and Tara Fitzgerald. Keira will play Jennifer and the show will commence its run in December.

Born to do it: Keira Knightly makes debut in a West End scoop.

Keira Knightley has cancelled her close-ups in front of movie cameras for a while so she can make her stage debut in the West End in December.


Last night, the Oscar-nominated actress was said to be 'terrified but excited' about appearing in a modern-day version of Moliere's 17th century masterpiece The Misanthrope, in which she will play a flirtatious Hollywood film star, joining an ensemble cast led by Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre actor Damian Lewis, who plays the title role. 
 

Tara Fitzgerald and Dominic Rowan will also star. Rehearsals start the middle of next month, with preview performances at the Comedy Theatre from December 7 and an official opening night on December 17.

Keira and her partner Rupert Friend can rehearse at home together. As has been mentioned here before, Mr Friend makes his own stage debut in The Little Dog Laughed, which is opening at the Garrick in January.

Along with London Boulevard, Keira has two other movies due out next year. They are Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, and an American picture she shot in New York called Last Night.


She has also been in talks about starring in a new film version of the musical My Fair Lady, which Danny Boyle had hoped to direct, but he has withdrawn from the project. It won't shoot now until 2011.

Read more here.

Related article:

• Keira Knightley to star with Damian Lewis in West End's 'Misanthrope'
  
  

Speaking of Rupert Friend, he's been rumored or rather mentioned as one of the 3 actors in a race to star and play as a prince in The Spare about the life of Prince Harry of Wales, the younger son of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

Here's one of the articles that mentions Rupert (and Keira as well)...

TOP STARS IN ROYAL RACE

PARTY Prince Harry’s wild life is being turned into an action-packed Hollywood blockbuster.

The movie, called The Spare, will cover the highs of lows of his royal experiences.

It will focus on the impact of the death of his mum Princess Diana and his frontline Army service in Afghanistan.

A screenplay is already being written and film bosses are searching for a hot young star to play the 25-year-old Prince.

Actors in the frame include ginger Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, 21, Twilight hunk Robert Pattinson, 23, and Pride and Prejudice actor Rupert Friend, 28, whose girlfriend is Keira Knightley, 24.

Also, according to Vanity Fair...

VF claims Friend has a friend in high places. Apparently Harry's Aunt Sarah Ferguson may put in a good word for Rupert F. since he so ably played Prince Albert in The Young Victoria, produced by none other than the Duchess of York.