Gabriel Byrne and Geraldine James will lead the world stage premiere of “45 Years,” Hannah Patterson’s theatrical adaptation of Andrew Haigh’s 2015 film, directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah, at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, U.K., from June 12 to July 11.
The story centres on a couple in the days before their anniversary celebrations, whose relationship is quietly upended when a letter arrives from Switzerland – connected to the decades-old discovery of a woman’s body preserved in glacial ice.
Byrne, making his Chichester debut, takes the role of Geoff. A Golden Globe winner with two Tony nominations, he has built an expansive career on both sides of the Atlantic – on stage most recently in Eugene O’Neill productions and Samuel Beckett-influenced work on Broadway, and on screen in “Miller’s Crossing,” “The Usual Suspects” and “In Treatment.”
James plays Kate, also appearing at Chichester for the first time. A Tony-nominated stage actress, her recent theatre work includes productions at the Orange Tree and the RSC. On television, she has accumulated an extensive body of work across four decades, with notable recent appearances in “Silo,” “This Town” and “Back to Life.”
Patterson has written for both fringe and mid-scale venues in London and New York, with work including a Hampstead Theatre commission and a piece that earned dual award nominations before transferring off-Broadway.
Puwanarajah, who won the 2025 U.K. Theatre Award for best director for his RSC production of “Twelfth Night,” makes his CFT debut with the production. As an actor, his screen credits include “The Crown,” in which he played journalist Martin Bashir, as well as “Patrick Melrose” and “Line of Duty.” He made his feature directorial debut with “Ballywalter,” which opened the Belfast Film Festival in 2022, and subsequently co-wrote and co-executive produced the drama “Breathtaking.”
“It’s an honor to be directing Hannah Patterson’s sensitive adaptation of Andrew Haigh’s surgical, devastating ’45 Years,’” he tells Variety, “and to be working with an extraordinary team of creative artists to find its real-life theatrical voicing.” He described Byrne and James as “two of the finest and most treasured players from these islands,” adding that they would “find new richnesses and rhythms in this story which serves as a celebration of deep relationship honesty and a warning against the quietly ossified secret.”
The production’s creative team includes designer James Cotterill, lighting designer Guy Hoare, composer Ruth Barrett, sound designer Beth Duke, movement director Natasha Harrison and casting director Matilda James CDG.
Haigh’s source film premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015, where Rampling won the Silver Bear for best actress and Tom Courtenay took the Silver Bear for best actor. Rampling subsequently received an Academy Award nomination for best actress in a leading role at the 88th Oscars.
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