Most actors have enough layers to explore with just one character in “Old Times,†an enigmatic 1971 play about identity and fractured memories by Harold Pinter, the Nobel Prize winner best known for psychological chillers like the “The Homecoming†and “The Caretaker.†But the theater director Ian Rickson has thrown down a challenge to leading ladies Kristin Scott Thomas and Lia Williams for an upcoming London revival of “Old Times†â€" they will alternate in the female roles of Kate and Anna, old friends who have not seen each other in 20 years.
In a telephone interview, Mr. Rickson suggested that a coin might be tossed right before some performances to keep the actresses, and audiences, o n their toes about who will play which role.
“I love a good creative challenge, and so do Kristin and Lia, where we can't grow too comfortable on stage with preconceived expectations,†said Mr. Rickson, who directed the Tony-nominated “Jerusalem†on Broadway last year. The plan was first reported in London's Daily Mail.
Role swapping is relatively rare, and almost always generates buzz in the media and among critics and audiences. On Broadway, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly traded off the lead parts of the two brothers in the 2000 revival of Sam Shepard's “True West,†and in London the actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller switched it up in the 2011 production of “Frankenstein†at the National Theater, sharing the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature.
Among the most famous bits of alternating in the theater came some 77 years ago when the young Shakespearean actors John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier swapped the roles of Romeo and Mercutio.
The plan to alternate for “Old Times†grew out of Mr. Rickson's earlier hope to perform both that play and Pinter's “Betrayal†in repertory with the same actors; “Betrayal†ended up running in the West End last summer to critical acclaim, starring Ms. Scott Thomas. As discussions began about mounting “Old Times†in London this season, Ms. Scott Thomas suggested that they still try to double up the roles, just in the one play.
Her co-star Ms. Williams was game, and Mr. Rickson said he was comfortable with the idea because he had worked well previously with both actresses; he directed Ms. Scott Thomas in “Betrayal†as well as in the 2008 Broadway run of “The Seagull,†and Ms. Williams in a National Theater production of Pinter's “The Hothouse.â€
“Old Times†is set in the home of Kate and her husband Deeley (to be played by Rufus Sewell), whose tangled, unsettling back stories with each other and wit h Anna are slowly revealed in classic Pinter style. Mr. Rickson said he thought alternating the actress would resonate with the text, rather than come off as a gimmick, because Kate and Anna have so much shared history and have been interpreted over the years as, perhaps, different personalities of the same woman.
“The play is very much about the reunion of an introvert and an extrovert who come from a shared history, and what it takes for the introvert to survive the encounter, and we all think it could be compelling to see what fire and possibility we could get on stage by having the actresses trade,†Mr. Rickson said.
Sonia Friedman, the producer of the “Old Times†revival, said she liked the alternating idea as well but was still working through the details with Mr. Rickson; the idea of flipping a coin may not always work, for instance, given there almost certainly will be audience members who want to plan ahead of time to buy tickets to see each actr ess in both roles. The production has yet to be officially announced, but rehearsals are expected to begin in November and performances in early 2013.
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