Jessie Buckley to take pay cut as Oscar winner's salary for London theatre return revealed

Buckley, 36, will star in Afterbirth, a brand new play by the theatre's associate playwright Nina Segal described as "a story about the disorienting reality of life after birth".Read MoreA mother herself, having welcomed her first child with husband Freddie Sorensen last year, Buckley will star in director Maria Aberg's production from January 15 to February 26, 2028.Buckley will be paid the ‘company rate’ of £140 per day while performing at the London theatrePA WireBut while the actress can rake in millions for her big-screen Hollywood roles, Buckley will receive the same "company rate" of £140 per day as every actor who performs at the theatre, Royal Court artistic director David Byrne told The Times.This rate is based on West End union agreements, with the publication reporting that Buckley will be paid £971 per week, during which she will perform eight times.Buckley is not the first Hollywood star to receive a similar lack of preferential treatment at the Royal Court.John Lithgow and Gary Oldman have also performed at the Sloane Square theatre in recent years, while Tilda Swinton has just finished performing in Manfred Karge's Man to Man in the 400-seat space.Tilda Swinton recently took on the same rate at the Royal Court in Man To ManRuediger GlatzThe Royal Court's 2027 and 2028 season includes a Broadway transfer for acclaimed playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Tony-winning play Purpose, along with six world premieres.Another star coming to the theatre is The Crown star Tobias Menzies, who will star opposite V (The Vagina Monologues formerly known as Eve Ensler) in The Apology.Olivier Award-winning actress Juliet Stevenson will also star in The Briar Patch, a domestic thriller directed by the theatre's artistic director Byrne.Buckley last appeared in the West End with Eddie Redmayne in Cabaret, with both stars winning Olivier AwardsGettyBuckley's return to the stage marks the first time she has performed in London since 2022, when she starred in the lead role of Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall's immersive revival of Cabaret.Buckley appeared opposite Eddie Redmayne in the production, with both stars winning Olivier Awards.Prior to this, the actress, who rose to fame as a contestant on the Andrew Lloyd Webber reality TV show I'd Do Anything, also performed at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Noel Coward Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe.