Daniel Radcliffe Returns to Broadway With ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is currently the hottest ticket on the Great White Way. Now, Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who first portrayed the boy wizard, is following suit and returning to Broadway.

The former Harry Potter will appear in the world premiere of “The Lifespan of a Fact.” The play follows the controversy surrounding a John D’Agata’s essay about the suicide of a Las Vegas teen. Originally submitted to Harper’s, which pulled it from publication over fact-checking issues, D’Agata and his fact-checker Jim Fingal re-submitted the piece to The Believer magazine. The pair than co-wrote a 2012 book “The Lifespan of a Fact” about their debate over whether facts can be invented or changed in an essay.

The limited run will open on Oct. 18 and previews start on Sept. 20. It will be performed at Studio 54 for 16 weeks.

Radcliffe will play Fingal, Bobby Cannavale will play D’Agata and Cherry Jones will play Fingal’s boss. Though best known for his film work, Radcliffe has returned frequently to the stage. He appeared on Broadway in “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” and caused a mini-scandal by taking it all off for “Equus.” He most recently headlined a 2016 sold-out run of “Privacy” at the Public Theatre.

Jones has appeared in “24,” picking up an Emmy for her work as the U.S. president, and also won Tonys for “The Heiress” and “Doubt.”

Cannavale, earned an Emmy for “Boardwalk Empire” and starred in the ill-fated HBO show “Vinyl.” His stage credits include Tony-nominated turns in “Mauritius” and “The Motherf*cker With The Hat.”

Leigh Silverman will direct the play from a script by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell.