Paul has a shocking secret. When at home, he is a loving father and husband; when he goes to work he administers the Cut. While society is revolted by his profession, Paul struggles with his conscience and desires nothing more than being able to tell the truth.  

Ian McKellen has long been one of Britain’s leading stage actors, but in recent years it is for his film roles that he has been best known. The leading roles of Magneto in X-Men and X-Men 2, and Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, have carved a niche for him in cinema history. He has also recently fulfilled two of his lifetime’s ambitions by appearing as a panto Dame in Aladdin at the Old Vic and by making his Coronation Street debut.

Playwright Mark Ravenhill’s previous credits include Shopping And Fucking, his first full-length play which opened at the Ambassadors theatre in 1996, Faust Is Dead, Sleeping Around, Handbag, Some Explicit Polaroids and, most recently, Mother Clap’s Molly House, which opened at the National Theatre in 2001.

Michael Grandage, the Donmar’s Artistic Director, adds The Cut to an impressive list of directorial credits which includes Guys And Dolls, Caligula (for which he won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Director), Privates On Parade, Grand Hotel, Suddenly Last Summer and Don Carlos. 

This production is the World premiere of Mark Ravenhill’s The Cut.