Jodie Whittaker to return to stage for first time in more than a decade

The actress will star in a modern adaptation of The Duchess Of Malfi.

Jodie Whittaker is returning to the stage, playing the title role in The Duchess, a re-telling of John Webster’s classic play The Duchess Of Malfi (Handout/PA)

Jodie Whittaker is returning to the stage for the first time in more than a decade to star in a contemporary adaptation of The Duchess Of Malfi.

The Doctor Who star will take on the title role in The Duchess, a re-telling of John Webster’s classic play, adapted and directed by Zinnie Harris.

In the play, Whittaker’s character is recently widowed and searching for a new lease of life, so defies her family’s wishes by remarrying beneath her class.

When her brothers, driven by greed and rage, discover her second marriage they unleash a series of cruel and devastating punishments against her that repress her power.

Whittaker said: “I’m beyond delighted to return to the stage after over a decade, and even more so to lead Zinnie Harris’s incredibly powerful adaptation of John Webster’s harrowing drama.

“Zinnie has so brilliantly propelled The Duchess Of Malfi into contemporary culture, which is what originally drew me to the piece.

“Being able to portray the Duchess’s tragic and captivating story on stage every night is a true honour.”

Whittaker, best known for her roles in Doctor Who and Broadchurch, has been absent from the stage since 2012, when she played the title role in Antigone at the National Theatre opposite Christopher Eccleston.

– The Duchess will run at London’s Trafalgar Theatre from October 5 to December 20, and tickets are on sale now.