All About Eve Tickets

All About Eve – Starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James

It's about time. All About Eve is one of those stories that, once seen, is never forgotten. It's subtle, clever, and timeless. Gillian Anderson is one of the most respected actresses of our time, star of the X Files and countless great TV, film and stage productions. Mix them together, add a brilliant dash of Lily James and you get a stage show you really won't want to miss.

The plot?
Anderson plays Margo Channing, a respected Broadway star who, at 40, is secretly worried she's past her prime. Lily James plays the seemingly naïve fan Eve Harrington, an ambitious actress who insinuates herself into Channing's life. She might seem sweet and nice, but she's actually a monster, a woman who ultimately wrecks her idol's career, relationships and life.

The original movie gathered an extraordinary 14 Academy Award nominations and actually won six, including Best Picture. It remains the only movie to win four female actor nominations. In 1990 the film passed into the annals of history for good, chosen for preservation in the US National Film Registry and one of the first 50 registered.

Roll forward time to 1970 and All About Eve inspired the stage musical Applause, with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. The marvellous Lauren Bacall played Margo and grabbed a Tony for Best Musical. Broadway adored it.

Now it's back for 2019, still a classic, just as potent and powerful as ever. The West End premiere takes place in early February and the plot has been specially adapted for the stage by the splendidly clever Ivo van Hove, who also directs. The show tunes come from the brilliant PJ Harvey, who is no stranger to the stage, having already won an Ivor Novello, two Mercuries, 8 Brits and 7 Grammys. She also has an MBE for services to music. That's what we call quality!

Gillian Anderson made her stage debut on Broadway in 1991 as Evelyn in Alan Ayckbourn’s play, Absent Friends. Lily James made hers in 2011 as Taylor in Vernon God Little at the Young Vic. Monica Dolan, the superbly acerbic Tracey Pritchard in TV's W1A, plays Karen, Margo’s best friend. And wonderful Sheila Reid portrays Margo's maid Birdie.

Who is this show for?
This show is subtle and clever, a story designed for adults. If you're very young, you probably won't understand what's going on.