Charlie Cox takes on wild Elvis Presley plot in new London play

Charlie Cox will lead The King’s Ransom, a new London play about a bizarre plot to kidnap Elvis Presley’s corpse

Charlie Cox is set to return to the London stage this winter as the lead of The King’s Ransom, a new play by Stuart Slade.

The play will have its world premiere at the Donmar Warehouse and is set in Memphis in 1977. Cox will play Vince Black, a small-time criminal who is presented with an unusual opportunity: kidnapping Elvis Presley’s corpse and holding it for ransom.

According to the play’s synopsis, Vince puts together a group of misfits and dropouts to carry out the elaborate plan, which involves hiding Presley’s body in a chest freezer while attempting to collect a $1 million ransom.

The cast also includes Blake Harrison as Rusty, Tom Fletcher as Charlie, Matthew Flynn as Mr. Bluefield, Leo Patrick as Jessie Lee, Jenny Rainsford as Rhonda/Jenny, Christopher Short as Elvis, Cherrelle Skeete as Mike and Ronnie Yorke as Red.

Ruby Barker, Eira Kay and Trixie Willis will share the role of Martha.

Matthew Dunster, whose credits include 2:22: A Ghost Story and The Hunger Games on Stage, is directing the production. The King’s Ransom will begin previews on Dec. 5 before officially opening on Dec. 16. The production is scheduled to run at the Donmar Warehouse through Feb. 6, 2027.

Cox has previously appeared at the Donmar Warehouse, starring in the 2010 production of The Prince of Homburg. His other theatre credits include the 2019 West End revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, which later transferred to Broadway.

The creative team for The King’s Ransom includes set designer Anna Fleischle, costume designer Jean Chan, lighting designer Sally Ferguson and sound designer Holly Khan, among others.