When the National Theatre announced it was bringing back Angels in America for its 25th anniversary, the pressure was, frankly, immense. How do you restage a "Gay Fantasia on National Themes" that basically redefined modern drama in the early 90s? You do it with a cast so stacked it felt like a fever dream. If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket at the Lyttelton Theatre in 2017—or caught the NT Live broadcast—you know exactly why people are still talking about this specific group of actors nearly a decade later.
Honestly, the Angels in America National Theatre cast didn't just perform; they lived through eight hours of Tony Kushner’s sprawling, messy, beautiful script. We’re talking about Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane, and Denise Gough leading a company that had to balance high camp with the visceral, heartbreaking reality of the AIDS crisis.
The Powerhouse Leads: Garfield and Lane
Andrew Garfield as Prior Walter was the soul of the production. Before he was winning Oscars or swinging through New York as Spider-Man, he was on that stage, gaunt and trembling, embodying the "prophet" of the plague. Garfield’s Prior was interesting because he started with this almost hyper-affected, period-accurate campiness. But as the play progressed into Perestroika, he stripped all that back. By the end, he was just a man demanding "more life," and it was gut-wrenching.
Then there’s Nathan Lane. Most people know him as the funny guy from The Birdcage or The Producers. Here? He played Roy Cohn, the real-life McCarthyist lawyer who was, by all accounts, a monster. Lane was terrifying. He played Cohn like a cornered rat—vicious, spittle-flecked, and deeply delusional. Seeing him trade barbs with Ethel Rosenberg’s ghost was a masterclass in theatrical tension. It’s the kind of performance that reminds you why Lane is a legend; he can make you laugh and then make your skin crawl ten seconds later.
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Who Else Was in the Room?
The supporting cast was just as vital. You can't do Angels without a solid Louis or a convincing Joe Pitt.
- James McArdle (Louis Ironson): He had the hardest job. Louis is the character everyone loves to hate because he abandons Prior when things get ugly. McArdle played him with this frantic, intellectualized guilt that made him feel human instead of just a villain.
- Denise Gough (Harper Pitt): Fresh off her massive success in People, Places and Things, Gough played the Valium-addicted Mormon wife, Harper. She captured that specific "lost in a hallucinatory Antarctica" energy perfectly.
- Russell Tovey (Joe Pitt): Tovey played the closeted Mormon clerk. Fun fact: when the show moved to Broadway in 2018, Lee Pace actually took over this role. Tovey’s version was more about the quiet, repressed agony of a man trying to be "good" while his world crumbled.
- Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Belize): Every production needs a stellar Belize, and Stewart-Jarrett delivered. He provided the necessary acerbic wit and grounded compassion that acts as the play's moral compass.
- Susan Brown (Hannah Pitt/Others): Susan Brown was a chameleon. She played Joe’s mother, a male doctor, and the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg. Her versatility was basically the engine room of the show.
Why This Cast Mattered in 2017 (and Now)
Directing eight hours of theatre is a marathon. Marianne Elliott—the genius behind War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time—chose actors who could handle the "fantasia" element. This wasn't a minimalist, "sad people in a room" play. It had neon lights, revolving sets, and a massive, terrifying Angel played by Amanda Lawrence.
The Angel wasn't just a person in a harness; she was supported by "shadows"—puppeteers and dancers who made her movements feel otherworldly. It looked like a biological machine.
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Kinda makes you realize why the 2017 revival was such a cultural reset. It proved that Angels in America wasn't a "museum piece" about the 80s. With this cast, it felt like a warning about the present. The political divide, the fear of the "other," the struggle for healthcare—it all felt incredibly raw.
The Broadway Transfer and Legacy
When the production hopped across the pond to the Neil Simon Theatre in 2018, most of the Angels in America National Theatre cast went with it. Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane both ended up winning Tony Awards for their roles. It solidified this version as the definitive revival for a new generation.
If you missed it live, you've still got options. National Theatre at Home often features the filmed version of the production. It’s a long sit—basically a full workday of theatre—but seeing Garfield and Lane go toe-to-toe is worth every minute.
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What to do next
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific production, here are a few things worth checking out:
- Watch the NT Live Recording: Check the National Theatre at Home streaming service. They frequently cycle their heavy hitters, and Angels is often the crown jewel.
- Read the Script: Tony Kushner's stage directions are famously dense and hilarious. Reading the "Gay Fantasia" helps you appreciate how much work the actors put into those surreal sequences.
- Compare the Casts: If you’re a real theatre nerd, look up the original 1992/1993 National Theatre cast (which featured Jason Isaacs and Daniel Craig!) to see how the interpretation of characters like Louis and Joe has shifted over thirty years.
Whether you're a student of drama or just a fan of Andrew Garfield, the 2017 cast remains a benchmark for how to handle massive, complex storytelling without losing the human heart at the center of it.