Therese Raquin

A Blood-Soaked tale of Adultery

Keira Knightley makes her Broadway debut in 2015 as the eponymous heroine of Therese Raquin. The play, which opens Roundabout Theatre's 2015/16 season, is based on the celebrated novel and play by French naturalist author Emile Zola. A sordid tale of lust, murder and revenge set amongst the squalid streets of 19th Century Paris, it follows the title character as she begins a love affair with her husband's best friend.

Commissioned by Roundabout Theatre director Todd Haines, this adaptation by Helen Edmunson was first seen at the Theatre Royal in Bath, England. That production was met with glowing notices, with The Times calling it "compelling, poetic and fleet" and WhatsonStage.com labelling it "a triumph!". The director for the New York staging is Evan Cabnet (The Model Apartment).

Miss Knightley

Following on from the hullabaloo surrounding The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, the last few years have been relatively low-key for Miss Knightley. She's pursued varied and interesting work, from playing the title character in Joe Wright's experimental Anna Karenina, to an undiscovered folk singer in Begin Again. Her most recent role saw her starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the Oscar-winning The Imitation game.

While this will be the actress's Broadway debut, she's no stranger to the theatre. Her performances on the London stage in The Children's Hour and The Misanthrope drew great acclaim, with the latter earning her an Olivier Award nomination.

What is Therese Raquin About?

In 1860s Paris there lives a young beauty named Therese Raquin, who is trapped in a loveless marriage to her first cousin Camille. She spends her days in a state of utter boredom, tending the counter of her husband's haberdashery or watching her domineering aunt Madame Raquin play dominoes.

One evening her life is changed forever when Camille brings home an old friend, Laurent. Therese and Laurent feel an instant attraction to each other, and embark on a secret love affair. When it becomes clear that they cannot keep their relationship hidden for much longer, they plot to murder Camille so that they can be together.