Lily Collins and Álvaro Morte Set West End Debuts in Bess Wohl's Barcelona

Lily Collins and Álvaro Morte will make their West End debuts in the UK premiere of Barcelona by Bess Wohl. Directed by Lynette Linton, the production will have a limited 12-week engagement at the Duke of York's Theatre from October 21 through January 11, 2025. 

Collins is best known as the title character in the Netflix comedy series Emily in Paris. Her film credits also include MaXXXine, Windfall and Mank. Morte, a Spanish actor, gained notoriety for playing El Professor (The Professor) in the successful series La Casa de Papel, known in the UK and U.S. as the Netflix drama Money Heist.

Set late at night in Barcelona, the play follows an American tourist, Irene (Collins), who goes home with a handsome Spaniard, Manuel (Morte). What begins as a carefree, one-night stand becomes an invitation to danger, as the personal and political catastrophically intertwine.

“It has been a childhood dream of mind to perform in the West End and I’m hugely excited to make my stage debut in Bess’ exciting play, Barcelona," said Collins in a statement. "Working with this team has truly been a gift and I cannot wait for audiences to be taken on a thrilling journey as the play unravels. I knew the moment I finished reading the script, I had to play Irene.”

Morte commented, “The London theatre scene is a vibrant and exhilarating canvas for fresh, groundbreaking work. I am thrilled and honoured to be a part of this captivating new play, marking my West End debut. I'm looking forward to bringing Barcelona to life and sharing it with audiences.”

The creative team for Barcelona includes set and costume design by Frankie Bradshaw; lighting by Jai Morjaria; composition and sound design by Duramaney Kamara and Xana; video design by Gino Ricardo Green; and wigs, hair and makeup design by Cynthia De La Rosa.