John Malkovich to star in play inspired by Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Bitter Wheat, which is billed as a play about a “depraved Hollywood mogul”, will have its world premiere in London’s West End.

John Malkovich is to star in a new play about a “depraved Hollywood mogul” inspired by the scandal surrounding disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

Bitter Wheat, the actor’s first stage role in almost 30 years, will come to London’s West End for its world premiere in June.

With the tagline “Hollywood is a hell hole”, it tells the story of Barney Fein, a “bloated monster” who falls from a position of power and is being written and directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet.

Malkovich, whose film credits include Being John Malkovich, Of Mice And Men and In The Line Of Fire, will star alongside Doon Mackichan, best known for TV comedies such as Smack The Pony, Plebs, The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge.

Mamet first revealed he was working on a play based on the Weinstein scandal in an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 2018, saying: “I was talking with my Broadway producer and he said, ‘Why don’t you write a play about Harvey Weinstein?’ And so I did.”

The alleged crimes of former movie producer Weinstein were exposed by the New York Times in October 2017, in a story which detailed decades of allegations of sexual harassment.

He has since been accused of rape or sexual assault by scores of women.