John Malkovich on Bitter Wheat: Weinstein-inspired play could be 'a bit close to the bone'

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Robert Dex @RobDexES20 June 2019

Hollywood star John Malkovich has said he knows there will be “conscientious objectors” who refuse to watch his new West End play, widely seen as inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The actor plays domineering movie mogul Barney Fein in Bitter Wheat by David Mamet at the Garrick. He admitted the show, billed as a black farce, was not always an easy watch and could be “a bit close to the bone”.

He said: “There are a lot of laughs, some of them are involuntary, I think, and they almost wish they hadn’t — but too late. The audiences have laughed a lot but have clearly chosen not to laugh at things that would have been very funny in another time, but I think they’ve been hyper-attentive so far.

“There will be conscientious objectors, I’m sure, but the play is what it is.”

Weinstein, the Hollywood producer behind Oscar-winning hits Shakespeare In Love and The King’s Speech, has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 80 women, including actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan.

He will stand trial in New York in September on criminal charges, including rape, brought by two women. Weinstein denies the charges and all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Malkovich described the play as a “frontal assault” on the audience but said he did not expect any women to be surprised at the behaviour portrayed. “Who knew all this already? Women,” he said. “You may not have, I may not have but they know it by heart, they know it by the white noise of it to the very most obscenely disrespectful and profound actions.”

Malkovich, whose film career includes titles such as Dangerous Liaisons and The Killing Fields, said he had “no idea” about the extent of the problem despite spending almost 40 years making Hollywood films. He said: “I knew what I was told by people who were distraught and had no reason whatsoever to fudge it but did I know? No. Should I have known? Maybe.”

Bitter Wheat runs at the Garrick Theatre until September 21.