Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) and West End newcomer Joshua Jackson will star in a new production of "A Life in the Theatre," the acclaimed comedy by the Pulitzer Prize and Olivier Award-winning playwright, and Oscar-nominated screenwriter David Mamet. Directed by Lindsay Posner, the play will open at the Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue in London on January 27. The show marks Jackson's West End stage debut, while Patrick Stewart's last appearance in the West End was for the 2003 production of Henrik Ibsen's "The Master Builder."

This hilarious and poignant play is the story of two actors; grandiose stage veteran "Robert" (Stewart) and aspiring young newcomer "John" (Jackson). Set both on stage and behind the scenes in a fading small town repertory, the piece follows their friendship and their rivalry as they battle with the cruel uncertainties of their profession. Inspired by Mamet's early backstage experiences and his own brief career as an actor, this acutely observed and bittersweet comedy delivers all the absurdity, joy and heartache of a life in the theatre.

The play first opened in 1977 and enjoyed a hugely successful New York run. A British version in 1988, directed by Bill Bryden and starring Denholm Elliott and Sam West, was equally well received when it opened in London at the Haymarket Theatre. A subsequent 1994 US television film of the show starring Jack Lemmon and Matthew Broderick was nominated for both Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Patrick Stewart, OBE, is one of U.K.'s finest and most respected stage and screen actors. He is known to millions both in America and the rest of the world from his performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, followed by four movies based on the series. He has also recently featured in the blockbuster sci-fi hit films "X-Men" and the sequel "X2." Amongst his other numerous television credits include Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick," for which he was both Emmy and Golden Globe nominated and "I, Claudius." He is an Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), having been made an Associate Artist in 1967. For the RSC he has played most of the great Shakespearean roles including notably King John, Henry IV, Shylock (Olivier nomination), Titus Andronicus, Enobarbus (Olivier Award), Oberon and Leontes. He has also appeared in premiere productions of noted playwrights Tom Stoppard, Edward Bond and Howard Barker.

On Broadway, Stewart's credits include Prospero in "The Tempest," the title role in Jude Kelly's "photo-negative" production of "Othello" and the legendary Peter Brook's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He has also starred in his own adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," a one-man show in which he played over 40 characters. The show has played in London, for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, and in New York.

Well known as Dawson's Creek's fast-talking, self-deprecating Pacey Witter, Joshua Jackson has been working in front of the camera for over 15 years. His first feature film was Michael Bortman's "Crooked Hearts," which was quickly followed by the "Mighty Ducks" trilogy. In 2000, Joshua starred in Universal Pictures' "The Skulls," and more recently in Rose Troche's acclaimed drama "The Safety of Objects," the HBO Films version of Moises Kaufman's groundbreaking play "The Laramie Project," and had noted cameos in Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11," "Scream 2" and "Urban Legend." His additional feature film credits include "Gossip," Bryan Singer's "Apt Pupil" and "Cruel Intentions."

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Monday - Saturday, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday and Saturday, 4:00 p.m.

Tickets are priced from £16 - £40

For more information, you can check the link below, or call the box office of the Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue in London: 0870 890 1101. (If calling from the United States, the number is: 011-44-870-890-1101.)