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T<\/span>imoth\u00e9e Chalamet might have smirked his way out of an Oscar<\/a>. Sabrina Carpenter might have been roundly snubbed at the Grammys. But there\u2019s one place both would be welcomed with open arms: the UK theatre scene.<\/p>\n It seems we can\u2019t get enough of celebs on stage (acting chops preferable but not mandatory). This week alone, London\u2019s West End features Stranger Things star Sadie Sink<\/a>, singer Self Esteem<\/a> and Strictly cutie pie Johannes Radebe. Meanwhile, Mischa Barton, best known for playing Marissa Cooper in the 00s TV series The OC, is touring the UK and Ireland in a new adaptation of James M. Cain\u2019s crime novel Double Indemnity<\/a>.<\/p>\n Celebrity casting or stunt casting as it\u2019s sometimes less kindly known, isn\u2019t new: the Donmar Warehouse was at it back in 1998, casting Nicole Kidman in erotic two-hander The Blue Room, to quite the commotion<\/a>. But in recent years it\u2019s become increasingly common and, to many, increasingly cynical. There are shows with a rotating roster of leads for every taste: last year\u2019s Every Brilliant Thing<\/a> offered Lenny Henry and Minnie Driver among others. There are cameos, either advertised as nightly reveals \u2013 Inside No. 9: Stage\/Fright\u2019s recent tour unveiled everyone from Jonathan Ross to Basil Brush \u2013 or thrown in as sales-boosting surprises (why not chance it at the Les Mis tour when Ian McKellen has already popped up?). Then there\u2019s 2:22 A Ghost Story, widely seen as the play that lets non-actors \u2013 the likes of Cheryl Tweedy and Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore \u2013 have a bash at the boards.<\/p>\n <\/span> Lenny Henry in Every Brilliant Thing at @sohoplace theatre in London.<\/span> Photograph: Helen Murray<\/p>\n As the trend has intensified, so has the criticism. In October<\/a>, the Casting Directors\u2019 Guild co-chair Nadine Rennie warned celebrity casting is \u201ckilling\u201d the industry. Other insiders say some theatres won\u2019t book shows without a big name, making it harder for smaller productions (often the work of new talent) to compete.<\/p>\n It can also bring out the ugly side of audiences. When Love Island winner Amber Davies recently took a sick break from starring as Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde musical, fans (bend and<\/a>) snapped, sending online abuse and demanding refunds, despite a capable understudy. Which brings us to another common complaint: that celebrities take work from experienced actors and, sometimes, make rubbish theatre. Just last week, Maimuna Memon, who says her <\/strong>Olivier win last year was followed by job-offer tumbleweed, told the Guardian<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s brutal right now. Celebrity casting is massive and is reducing the amount of jobs available \u2026 A lot of people I know who are incredible had a really shit time last year.\u201d<\/p>\n But as sad as this makes me, and as much as I believe in supporting new and existing talent, I\u2019m not convinced celebrity casting is the enemy of great theatre or a successful industry. At least, not always.<\/p>\n For one thing, not all star-turns are created equal. YouTuber Tanya Burr\u2019s \u201cflat delivery, and often oddly stressed sentences<\/a>\u201d probably did make Confidence at Southwark Playhouse worse, and rob someone more talented of an opportunity. But Bryan Cranston\u2019s \u201cmagnetic\u201d turn<\/a> in All My Sons? No chance. Besides, many screen juggernauts were masters of the stage first (I\u2019m looking at you, Michael Sheen).<\/p>\n Celebrities may hog the limelight, but they also bring welcome eyeballs to lesser-known castmates and, sometimes, to the very productions they\u2019re accused of squeezing out. Take 2:22 A Ghost Story. It wasn\u2019t always a theatrical behemoth \u2013 when it opened, first-time playwright Danny Robins and his producers had to take a huge financial risk, committing to the theatre\u2019s rent for the show\u2019s entire run, with audiences only just trickling back after lockdown. \u201cWe needed to think in terms of \u200b\u2018Who would you catch Covid for?\u2019\u201d Robins said. Enter Lily Allen as its sellout star.<\/p>\n Those sold-out runs can also be good for more than just the box office. In 2022, Jodie Comer took the lead<\/a> in a play by Suzie Miller, then relatively unknown outside Australia. It became an instant hot ticket and today Prima Facie, a scorching monologue about the legal system\u2019s handling of sexual assault cases, has two Oliviers, a Tony and a Cynthia Erivo-fronted film adaptation on the way. More importantly, it has also led a senior judge in England to rewrite the directions given to juries in rape trials, and a recording of the play is shown to newly appointed judges in Northern Ireland before they sit on sexual assault cases.<\/p>\n <\/span>Jodie Comer in Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter theatre, London. <\/span> Photograph: Helen Murray<\/p>\n Celebrities, of course, contribute to UK theatre\u2019s healthy audience numbers \u2013 over 37 million last year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. But they also tempt people to try theatre for the first time. Tom Holland\u2019s run as Romeo<\/a> in 2024 led to an Eras tour-level scramble for tickets among young fans \u2013 no bad thing when creative school subjects and extracurricular activities are still undervalued and underfunded.<\/p>\n