Cate Blanchett Goes To Broadway For The First Time In 'The Present'

Cate Blanchett is set to finally make her Broadway debut this year in her husband Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's 'Platonov' alongside 'Moulin Rouge!' star Richard Roxburgh. The play is entitled 'The Present' and will be directed by John Crowley of the original 2015 production.

Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton bring 'The Present' to Broadway

'The Present' was originally shown in Australia with the Sydney Theatre Company, but now the STC is bringing the play to New York's Broadway for the very first time, marking double-Oscar winning Blanchett's Broadway premiere. The play, adapted by Andrew Upton with whom Blanchett has been married for eighteen years, is based on the unfinished first play by Anton Chekhov which was discovered after his death and later titled 'Platonov'.

The adaptation follows a group of friends in the 90s in Russia who unite in the countryside for the 40th birthday party of Blanchett's character Anna Petrovna. The group is led by the married but definitely not monogamous Mikhail Platonov (Richard Roxburgh), a school teacher determined to woo the birthday girl. However, his womanizing and secretive ways ultimately make his life far from easy.

Richard Roxburgh marks his Broadway debut with Blanchett

The US run will also be Roxburgh's Broadway debut, though while we're on the subject it is worth mentioning that both have had some non-Broadway experience. 'The Present' is actually a reunion for these two actors, who first worked together - alongside Blanchett's 'Lord Of The Rings' co-star Hugo Weaving - in Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's 'Uncle Vanya'. Roxburgh was later reunited with Weaving for 'Waiting for Godot' and also had the titular role in Upton's 'Cyrano de Bergerac' at the STC. Blanchett herself has notably appeared in many of Upton's plays, touring New York with the STC in 'Hedda Gabler', 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Maids'.

More: Read our review of 'Carol'

2015 saw Blanchett and Upton cede their roles as co-artistic directors at the STC upon their move to New York, but the couple have since worked together on the big screen, with Upton executive producing romance drama 'Carol' starring Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

More cast announcements and, indeed, the opening dates for 'The Present' are yet to be announced.