Venus in Fur: Hugh Dancy to star as Thomas

Hugh Dancy ("The Big C") will star as 'Thomas' in Manhattan Theatre Club's Broadway premiere of David Ives' Venus in Fur, alongside Tony Award nominee Nina Arianda, who is reprising her acclaimed Off-Broadway breakthrough performance. The show will once again be directed by Tony Award-winner Walter Bobbie.

Dancy can currently be seen starring opposite Laura Linney and Oliver Platt in Showtime's original series "The Big C." Dancy made his Broadway debut in the 2008 Tony-winning revival of 'Journey's End.' He returned to the New York stage in the 2009 production of 'The Pride' for which he received Lortel and Drama League Award nominations. Dancy also appeared in the West End production of 'To The Green Fields,' directed by Sam Mendes. His film and TV credits include his Emmy-nominated role in the HBO miniseries "Elizabeth I," and the films "Adam," "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Evening."

Venus in Fur will open at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on 8 Nov 2011, following previews from 13 Oct 2011, and play a limited engagement through to 18 Dec 2011.

'Vanda' (Arianda), is a preternaturally talented young actress determined to land the lead in a new play based on the classic erotic novel, Venus in Fur. Her emotionally charged audition for 'Thomas' (Dancy), the play's adapter/director, becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex.

The creative team for Venus in Fur includes John Lee Beatty (scenic design), Anita Yavich (costume design), Peter Kaczorowski (lighting design), and Acme Sound Partners (sound design).

Venus in Fur premiered Off-Broadway at the Classic Stage Company where it opened on 26 Jan 2010, following previews from 13 Jan for a run that was originally scheduled to close on 21 Feb 2010, but was then extended twice, ending its run on 28 Mar 2010. The production starred Nina Arianda as 'Vanda' and Wes Bentley as 'thomas'

The Off-B'way production opened to mostly positive reviews: Get thee to Venus pronto. (newyorktheatreguide.com); A tasty teeter-tottering test of wills, directed with laser-sharp precision by Walter Bobbie and featuring a sensational Nina Arianda (NY Times); Good, kinky fun. (NY Daily News); Devastatingly surreal examination of sex and power. (Back Stage).

The show introduced newcomer Nina Arianda to New York audiences with her critical acclaimed portrayal of 'Vanda.' Tulis McCall, who reviewed the production for newyorktheatreguide.com wrote of Arianda's performance, "The quite extraordinary Nina Arianda gives a performance that should knock her career into the stratosphere."

Venus in Fur will be Arianda's second Broadway outing, she recently made her Broadweay debut when she starred to critical acclaim as 'Billie Dawn' in the Broadway revival of 'Born Yesterday,' for which she was nominated for a Tony.