Ben Rappaport to join Sean Hayes in 'Good Night, Oscar'; further casting set

The actors reunite after co-starring in the Tony Award-winning 2023 Broadway premiere of Doug Wright's play about pianist and TV personality Oscar Levant.

Further casting has been set for the West End premiere of Good Night, Oscar, starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Sean Hayes. Performances run at the Barbican Theatre from 31 July to 21 September only.

As previously announced, Hayes reprises his Tony Award-winning performance as Oscar Levant from the 2023 Broadway premiere of Good Night, Oscar. Also returning from that production are Ben Rappaport as Jack Paar and Max Roll as the understudy for Levant and Paar.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Ben Rappaport to the West End production of Good Night, Oscar," producer Howard Panter said in a statement. "Ben and Sean shared extraordinary chemistry on Broadway, and their dynamic performances brought such depth, wit and electricity to the play. London audiences are in for a real treat as these two remarkable performers reunite on stage at the Barbican — supported by an incredible ensemble of actors who will bring heart, humour and nuance to every moment.”

New to the London cast are Daniel Adeosun as Alvin Finney, David Burnett as George Gershwin, Richard Katz as Bob Sarnoff, and Eric Sirakian as Max Weinbaum. Additional understudies are Tashinga Bepete, Ben Butler, Charlotte Hunter, and Ryan Speakman.

Lisa Peterson returns to direct Good Night, Oscar, in which talk show host Jack Paar invites Oscar Levant, a concert pianist and infamous wit, to do a live interview he won't soon forget. Levant's darkly funny and unfiltered conversation about his mental health lifted TV taboos for decades to come.

Book Good Night, Oscar tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Ben Rappaport and Sean Hayes in Good Night, Oscar on Broadway. (Photo by Joan Marcus)