The latest play by Antony Sher is one of the highlights of Hampstead Theatre's new season, announced today.
It will produce the world premiere of The Giant, which features full-frontal nudity, in November. The play will be directed by Sher's partner Gregory Doran - whom he married in a civil ceremony in 2005 - and takes a "highly charged look" at the convulsive moment in history when both Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo were working in Florence. The play sees the pair fight over the vast block of marble, Il Gigante, destined to become Michelangelo's David.
Sher, 58, said he had decided against taking on either role: "During the carving of David, Michelangelo was 26 and Leonardo was a tall, handsome, glamorous, strapping 50-year-old. So there's no way I can play either of them."
The Giant is one of three plays written by actors that feature in the theatre's autumn-winter season.
There will also be a debut co-written by former EastEnders actress Tracy Ann Oberman, who played Chrissie Watts in the BBC1 soap. Composed with Diane Samuels, Three Sisters On Hope Street is a reworking of Chekhov's Three Sisters, due to open in February next year.
Meanwhile, Robin Soans, whose acting credits include The Queen and Waking The Dead, has written Life After Scandal, about the paparazzi, to debut on 20 September.
