Cathy Tyson will play Martha in a new production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which Leicester’s Curve will stage in its studio in autumn 2025.
Tyson, who has had a long relationship with Curve, was last seen as Mrs Higgins in the theatre’s 2024 production of Lerner and Loewe My Fair Lady. Previous Curve appearances include Rachel in Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette in 2019 and Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in 2016. She has been a member of Curve’s board of trustees since 2020.
She said, “I’m really excited to return to Curve after the great fun of My Fair Lady last Christmas. This venue holds a dear place in my heart, so to star in this new production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is very special indeed. I can’t wait to work with director Cara Nolan and to get under the skin of Martha’s character.”
Nolan, Curve’s associate director, said, “I’m thrilled to be directing what’s widely regarded as one of the greatest American plays of the 20th century. The play's intense exploration of marriage and disillusionment unfolds through Edward Albee's expertly executed dialogue, full of sharp observation and wit. This will be realism at its best both in terms of design and performance. I’m really looking forward to working on the play and can’t wait to share this great epic piece of theatre with audiences.”
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will run at Curve from Saturday 18 October until Saturday 8 November.