THE HUNTINGTON ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM OF EMMA RICE TOUR OF NORTH BY NORTHWEST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Gabrielle Choi, Associate Director of Publicity
617-273-1520
PHOTOS available for download here
Members of the press, RSVP here
THE HUNTINGTON ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM OF EMMA RICE TOUR OF NORTH BY NORTHWEST
The US tour of the funny and dance-fueled stage adaptation of Emma Rice’s North by Northwest makes its East Coast premiere at the Huntington Theatre in January 2027
(BOSTON) – The Huntington announces the cast and creative team of an inventive stage adaptation of the acclaimed spy thriller, North by Northwest, adapted and directed with humor and cinematic flair by Emma Rice. An Emma Rice Company, Kay & McLean Productions, and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions co-production based on the Turner Entertainment Co film North By Northwest, this North American tour will run at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) from Thursday, January 21 to Sunday, February 7, 2027.
Theatre legend Emma Rice helms a high-velocity take on the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest in an acclaimed production hailed as “glorious” (The Times of London) and “effortlessly chic” (The Daily Mail). When ad man Roger Thornhill is mistaken for a Cold War spy, he goes on the run dodging airplanes, bad guys, and a femme fatale who may not be what she seems. With seven shape-shifting performers, a swinging ‘50s soundtrack, and the iconic backdrop of Mount Rushmore, Rice transforms the beloved thriller into a riotously funny high-speed theatrical ride.
“I am thrilled, excited, and perhaps a little apprehensive to bring the iconic North by Northwest home to the US!” says producer Emma Rice. “I just hope that American audiences will love it as much as our British audiences did. What I am not apprehensive about is bringing its message: one of nations coming together in peace and friendship to make the world a better place. I think we can all raise a glass to that! And Boston, a place brimming with history and cultural energy, is the perfect fit for this timely piece. Expect sparks and larks as we bring our British humour to this American masterpiece. Boston, here we come!”
Called “an espionage crowd-pleaser!” by The Guardian and “a heck of a lot of fun – a bravura staging that will keep you grinning at its inventiveness” by The Telegraph, North by Northwest was originally co-produced in the UK by Emma Rice Company (then called Wise Children), York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, and Alexandra Palace Theatre in 2025. Since its premiere, the production has been produced around the UK and is now on its North American tour, playing at San Diego’s Old Globe and San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre in fall 2026 before coming to The Huntington for its East Coast premiere in Boston in early 2027. The San Diego Union-Tribune called the US tour “funny and frequently dazzling!”
The original film, released in 1959 and starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, is regarded as one of Hitchcock’s finest, following an innocent man as he’s pursued cross-country in a case of mistaken identity that threatens to become deadly at any moment. The film is perhaps most famous for its Bernard Hermann score, and for scenes of Grant being chased by a small airplane in a cornfield and a climax that has the characters scurrying down the faces of Mount Rushmore, both of which have proved to be some of the most iconic visuals in cinematic history.
It’s particularly exciting to welcome a Hitchcock adaptation back to The Huntington. In 2007, The Huntington produced the United States premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps directed by Maria Aitken, which later went on to be nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two. At the time, The Boston Globe lauded the production as a “triumph of imagination.” Audiences who loved The Huntington’s hit production of The 39 Steps can expect a similarly inventive, fast-paced theatrical experience in North by Northwest, with a small cast transforming into a myriad of characters.
Emma Rice’s North by Northwest is part of The Huntington Selects, a series of curated touring productions The Huntington partners with to bring exciting and unique experiences to Boston audiences. This series is offered as an add-on to The Huntington’s subscription season, and Huntington FlexPass holders are able to redeem their tickets for these performances and events. Past Selects productions include: Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, Kim’s Convenience, My First Ex-Husband, The RESET, Mindplay, and Yippee Ki Yay.
The cast of North by Northwest includes:
Danny Collins as Roger Thornhill, an ad executive. Credits include: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max, Singin’ in the Rain at Manchester Royal Exchange, and Titus Andronicus at RSC Swan Theatre.
Evangeline Dickson as Mrs. Townsend, Lester Townsend’s wife; and Assistant Director and understudy. Credits include: Crooked House on Netflix, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and Doctor Who: Time Fracture on the West End.
Patrycja Kujawska as Eve Kendall, a woman who crosses paths with Roger Thornhill on a train, and others. Credits include: the US and UK tours of Tristan and Yseult, The Tin Drum at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Don John at RSC.
Simon Oskarsson as Valerian, one of Vandamm’s spies, and others. Credits include: Emma Rice’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and Hadestown on the West End.
Katy Owen as The Professor, a narrator, and others. Credits include: the film Cyrano, Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s Globe, and the UK tour of North by Northwest.
Bryony Pennington as Anna, one of Vandamm’s spies, and others. Credits include: Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre, Romeo and Juliet with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, and Until the Lions with Opéra national du Rhin Ballet.
Karl Queensborough as Phillip Vandamm, a spy, and others. Credits include: Hamilton on the West End, the UK tour of North by Northwest, and The Little Match Girl at Shakespeare’s Globe.
The creative team for North by Northwest includes set and costume designer Rob Howell, composer and sound designer Simon Baker, lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth, choreographer, movement director, and intimacy coordinator Etta Murfitt, and creative consultant Mark Kaufman.
North by Northwest is produced by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Kay & McLean Productions.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Emma Rice (Adaptor and Director) is the proud Artistic Director of her company, Emma Rice Company, and an internationally respected theatre-maker and director. For Emma Rice Company, Emma has adapted and directed the productions Tristan and Yseult, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, North by Northwest, The Buddha of Suburbia, Blue Beard, The Little Match Girl and Happier Tales, Wuthering Heights, Bagdad Cafe, Romantics Anonymous, Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers, and Angela Carter’s Wise Children. As Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe: Romantics Anonymous, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). As joint Artistic Director of Kneehigh: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Tristan & Yseult, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride, The Red Shoes, The Wooden Frock, The Bacchae, Cymbeline (in association with RSC), A Matter of Life and Death (in association with National Theatre), Rapunzel (in association with Battersea Arts Centre), Brief Encounter (in association with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers Productions), Don John (in association with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic), Wah! Wah! Girls (in association with Sadler’s Wells and Theatre Royal Stratford East for World Stages), and Steptoe and Son. Emma received the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre award at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards and in 2022 was named one of Sky Arts’ ‘50 most influential British artists of the last 50 years. Emma recently won Best Direction at the 2025 Whatson Stage awards.
DETAILS ABOUT NORTH BY NORTHWEST
WHEN
Performances: January 21 – February 7, 2027
Evenings: Tuesday – Saturday at 7pm; also, select dates at 6pm and 7:30pm
Matinees: Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm; also, select dates at 1pm
Days and times vary; see complete schedule above.
Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes, with one intermission
Press Opening: Friday, January 22, 2027 at 7pm (RSVP here)
WHERE
Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
TICKETS
Tickets to in-person performances start at $35 and are on sale:
- Online at huntingtontheatre.org
- By phone at 617-266-0800
- Or in person at the Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Ave) or Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont St)
Select discounts apply:
- $40 HYPE tickets for patrons 40 years old and younger (valid ID required)
- $29 student and military tickets (valid ID required)
- $29 rush tickets (1 hour prior to curtain, subject to availability)
The Huntington asks that any patron experiencing COVID symptoms stay home and contact ticketing services for more information about exchanges.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST SPECIAL EVENTS
“Stage & Screen” North by Northwest at Coolidge Corner: Monday, January 18 at 7pm
The Huntington and Coolidge Corner continue their “Stage & Screen” collaboration with a 7pm showing of the Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller starring Cary Grant on Monday, January 18 at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA.
Tickets to the Stage & Screen film and post-screening discussion can be purchased here: coolidge.org/programs/stage-screen
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA
Any members of the media who are interested in speaking with the creatives behind North by Northwest, please contact Associate Director of Publicity Gabrielle Choi at gchoi@huntingtontheatre.org or 617-273-1520.
Press night for critics is Friday, January 22, 2027 at 7pm. Please RSVP here for press night or other available performances.
Production photos will be available for download online, and b-roll footage can be requested.
PHOTOS available for download here
ABOUT EMMA RICE COMPANY
Emma Rice Company (formerly Wise Children) is the theatre company created and led by multi-award-winning director Emma Rice. One of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations, we make groundbreaking work with exceptional artists and tour it across the UK and internationally. Alongside our shows we run a unique professional development programme, nurturing a new and more diverse generation of theatre practitioners.
ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON
Celebrating over 40 years of outstanding theatre, The Huntington is Boston’s leading professional theatre company. On our stages and throughout our city, we share enduring and untold stories that spark the imagination, amplify diverse voices, and connect communities. Since 1982, The Huntington has welcomed more than 3.5 million audience members, produced over 250 plays (including more than 140 premieres, with 18 moving to Broadway or Off Broadway), earned the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, and served more than half a million students.
Led by Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Loretta Greco and Executive Director Christopher Mannelli, The Huntington welcomes broad and diverse audiences, provides life-changing opportunities for students through our education and community programs, is a national leader in the development of playwrights and new plays, and serves as a hub for Boston’s cultural community at the beautifully restored Huntington Theatre and the state-of-the-art Calderwood Pavilion/BCA.
From 2024-2026, The Huntington catalyzed the ambitious two-year Ufot Family Cycle in Boston, a landmark nine-play series by Emmy-nominated and Massachusetts-born playwright Mfoniso Udofia, activating a city-wide effort supported by 40 organizations and reaching thousands of live and digital audience members across Greater Boston and beyond. In Summer 2026, Olivier-nominated playwright John Kolvenbach’s Stand Up if You’re Here Tonight (part of The Huntington’s 23/24 season) reached international audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And, coming up in 2027, The Huntington will open a new wing of the Huntington Theatre on Huntington Avenue. This storied venue’s expanded facilities reflect a bold vision for the future, allowing us to innovatively expand our services to audiences, artists, and the community for generations to come.
For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.
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