Hello, neighbor! Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey star Iain Glen is bringing the Russian countryside to London’s Old Vic in a new revival of Ivan Turgenev’s 1848 comedy Fortune’s Fool. Glen will play Kuzovkin, a down-on-his-luck man who never moved out of his late master’s estate, while Richard McCabe will take on the role of scheming and wealthy neighbor Tropatchov.
Last seen on Broadway in 2002, the Mike Poulton adaptation is slated to run from December 6 through February 22, 2014. An official opening night is set for December 19. Directed by Lucy Bailey, Fortune’s Fool will also feature Lucy Briggs-Owen as Olga and Alexander Vlahos as Yeletsk, as well as Dyfan Dwyfor, Janet Fullerlove, Paul Ham, Richard Henders and Simon Markey. Additional casting will be announced shortly.
Glen made his Broadway debut in The Blue Room opposite Nicole Kidman, and starred in Martin Guerre in the West End. He currently plays valiant exiled knight Jorah Mormont on TV's Game of Thrones. His additional film and TV credits include The Iron Lady, Prisoners Wives and the forthcoming movie What About Love?
McCabe most recently appeared in The Audience, winning an Olivier Award for his performance. His film and TV credits include Notting Hill, The Duchess, The Constant Gardener, Wallander and To the Ends of the Earth.
In Fortune’s Fool, a pair of newlyweds arrive at their country estate to be welcomed by gentlemen-in-residence Kuzovkin (Glen). When their neighbor Tropatchov (McCabe) comes by for a seemingly innocent celebratory lunch—complete with champagne—the proceedings degenerate, leading to a shocking revelation.