Ewan McGregor takes on first theatre role in 17 years

Ewan McGregor has described unrecorded theatre arsenic "good for the soul", arsenic helium announced helium is to instrumentality to the signifier for the archetypal clip successful 17 years.

The Scottish actor, who has starred successful Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge, is acceptable to prima successful My Master Builder successful London's West End betwixt April and July adjacent year.

McGregor told BBC News: "This is the longest I haven’t been connected stage, and successful honesty, I’ve missed it."

Inspired by Henrik Ibsen's 1892 play The Master Builder, the caller amusement is written by US playwright Lila Raicek and volition beryllium directed by Michael Grandage.

"The comic communicative is, I had virtually conscionable finished speechmaking Ibsen’s The Master Builder for pleasance – an bonzer read," McGregor explained. "Michael got successful interaction retired of the bluish and I mentioned however overmuch I’d emotion to get backmost connected stage.

"And successful a infinitesimal of axenic coincidence, helium told maine helium had a play inspired by The Master Builder sitting connected his desk. I asked him to nonstop it to me, and present we are. A infinitesimal of full serendipity."

He said Raicek had taken the publication successful a "fascinating" direction, describing the caller play arsenic a "very modern instrumentality connected intersexual authorities successful a mode that resonates peculiarly for this infinitesimal we find ourselves in".

"It examines these issues successful a precise grown-up way," helium continued. "And ultimately, I felt similar what a large play it would beryllium to see, and truthful what a large play it would beryllium to do."

Ibsen's The Master Builder focused connected a middle-aged Norwegian designer who becomes palmy by gathering caller homes pursuing a occurrence that destroys a residential estate.

But the ambitious and ruthless architect, Halvard Solness, grapples with feelings of inadequacy and fearfulness of being overtaken by younger talent.

The accumulation volition statesman previews astatine the Wyndham's Theatre successful London connected 17 April, and tally until 12 July.

Grandage and McGregor person antecedently collaborated connected Othello and Guys and Dolls, some for the Donmar theatre, wherever Grandage was creator director.

McGregor described moving connected the 2 shows arsenic "amazing experiences", adding helium felt "incredibly safe" successful the director's hands.

"I truly similar the enactment helium gets retired of me," McGregor said. "He has large originative volition and ideas earlier we commencement successful the rehearsal room, but erstwhile we are really rehearsing with him, there’s specified a large consciousness of discovering it together."

McGregor's movie credits see Brassed Off, Miss Potter, Black Hawk Down, Angels & Demons, Birds of Prey and Salmon Fishing successful the Yemen.

He played Obi-Wan Kenobi successful the archetypal of the Star Wars prequel trilogy Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace successful 1999. He revisited the relation successful 4 consequent Star Wars films and successful the 2022 miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The 53-year-old's different TV credits see Halston, successful which helium played manner decorator Roy Halston Frowick. McGregor won an Emmy Award successful 2021 for his portrayal.

Reflecting connected his instrumentality to unrecorded theatre, McGregor said: "I emotion acting connected movie and television, and of course, I emotion acting connected stage. I person ever been fortunate capable to bash each 3 passim my career.

"Theatre teaches you truthful overmuch astir acting, the assemblage teaches you. What works, what doesn’t. It’s precise bully for the soul. The unrecorded experience. The powerfulness of storytelling.

"Also I emotion the regular of it, waking up successful the greeting with the time aiming towards this event, this electrical experience."

Earlier this year, McGregor received a prima connected the Hollywood Walk of Fame successful Los Angeles. He said helium was "particularly moved" his prima had been placed beside that of the movie franchise's archetypal Princess Leia, the precocious histrion Carrie Fisher.