The Olivier and Tony Award winning director Terry Johnson is bringing his stage adaptation of the story of 17th century excess to the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Dominic Cooper to star as the notorious seducer John Wilmot in The Libertine
Dominic Cooper is returning to the West End stage, filling in shoes of the hedonistic, excess-loving Earl of Rochester in Terry Johnson’s major revival of The Libertine.
Written by Stephen Jeffrey, The Libertine tells a true story of John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. Wilmot is a charming playwright and poet, infamous for his love of the lavish and superfluous. It is only when the Earl encounters a certain actress at the Playhouse that he finally reconsiders his ways.
The role of the enigmatic Earl of Rochester was of course riveted to global renown by Jonny Depp in the 2004 film adaptation of The Libertine.
Dominic Cooper says he looks forward to playing the real-life seducer, telling Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail:
“I like Wilmot’s outlook on life. He decided that the country had been through enough repression, so he was going to have a good time. He hit the bottle and was constantly rollicking around. As a consequence, he became ill very quickly. But I believe he enjoyed the sensation of trying everything.”
Described as being laden with flair and wit and as a brilliant play that is “both a wild period piece and an incisive critique of life in an age of excess,” The Libertine is showing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from Thursday 22 September until Saturday 3 December 2016.
Due to strong language and scenes of a sexual nature, The Libertine is not suitable for anyone under the age of 15.
