Dame Imelda Staunton and her daughter Bessie Carter are to star opposite one another in a West End play.
Bridgerton actor Bessie, 31, the only child of the Olivier award-winning star and Downton Abbey's Jim Carter, will play Cambridge graduate Vivie in the revival of George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs Warren's Profession."
The comical drama, written in the 1890s, about a woman who learns hermother Kitty (played by Staunton) has earned her fortune from running brothels, was banned in Britain and had its first performance in1902.
Veteran theatre star Staunton, who played Queen Elizabeth II in series five and six of "The Crown" and Dolores Umbridge in the "Harry Potter" films, said doing the play is a "treat."
"The new year felt like the perfect time to return to the stage in' Mrs Warren's Profession,' a play which asks ever-pertinent questions about the role of women in society, and the choices they make for survival," she said.
"I couldn't be happier to be stepping into the rehearsal room with my very great friend and colleague Dominic; and my brilliant daughter Bessie. What a treat for 2025."
Director Dominic Cooke commented: "Although 'Mrs Warren's Profession' is over 120 years old, it still has the power to shock with its frank and provocative examination of the exploitative nature of society and the double standards applied to women.
Staunton's first Olivier award came in 1985 for her supporting roles in "A Chorus Of Disapproval" and "The Corn Is Green," and was followed by an award for "Into The Woods" in 1991.
In 2013, she won the best actress in a musical gong for her role in"Sweeney Todd" and in 2016 she won in the same category for her role as Mama Rose in "Gypsy."
In 2024, Staunton received a damehood in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to drama and charity.
Her daughter Bessie has starred in plays including "Dear Octopus" at the National Theatre and "King Lear" at The Old Vic, but is most known for playing Prudence Featherington in the hit Netflix Regency-inspired drama "Bridgerton."
Her father Jim is most known for his role as butler Charles Carson in"Downton Abbey."
The production will open at the Garrick Theatre on May 22, with previews from May 10 and will run until August 16. —PA Media/dpa
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