Content warning: This article contains references to sexual abuse
Going through Bridgerton withdrawals? We have good news. Bridgerton cutie Luke Newton will be playing late fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen in a new Off-Broadway play starting next month.
Darrah Cloud’s House of McQueen will take on the story of the legendary designer and will begin previews on August 19 at The Mansion at Hudson Yards, with an official opening set for September 9.
Luke Newton plays Colin Bridgerton in the Netflix drama Bridgerton, suitor to Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington. But the Netflix star is also an accomplished thespian; his stage credits include The Book of Mormon and Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things. “It is our absolute pleasure to announce Luke’s involvement with House of McQueen,” executive producer Rick Lazes told Deadline. “We can’t think of anyone better suited to bring Lee’s story to life than this incredibly impressive multi-hyphenate.” Lee McQueen’s nephew, Gary James McQueen, will serve as creative director.
What Will House Of McQueen Be About?
Newtown will tackle far darker subject matter than the lighthearted period rom-coms he’s become known for.
House of McQueen will cover Lee Alexander McQueen’s early days as an emerging designer and his dizzying trajectory, transforming his iconoclastic fashion brand into one of the most influential fashion houses in recent history. It will end with his tragic passing in 2010. Relationships with key fashion figures, including his mentor Isabella Blow, will be covered, as well as his family. Lazes told Deadline that floor-to-ceiling LED panels would transform the stage environment.
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Lee Alexander McQueen had an illustrious career and a life chequered by darkness. In 2018, a documentary McQueen covered Lee McQueen’s early traumas and personal struggles, including the sexual abuse he experienced from his older sister’s husband, Terence Hulyer, who also physically abused his sister. The designer said it informed his approach to designing clothes for women.
“When you’re 8 years old… seeing your sister strangled by her husband, who is dead now, thank God, all you want to do is make women look stronger,” McQueen said.
McQueen experienced depression throughout his life. His assistant, Sebastian Pons, stated that the designer was tormented in the lead-up to his final fashion show in 2009. “Everything in his life just led to these feelings of torment,” said Pons. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m fed up, I’m done with this, I just want this to end.’” Despite being loved by celebrities like Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker, McQueen felt like an outsider in fashion. He felt the whole fashion world was against him,” said Pons.
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McQueen sank into a deeper depression following the death of his mother on February 2, 2010. He died the day before her funeral. McQueen’s influence on fashion lives on. In 2022, the National Gallery of Victoria exhibited 120 pieces of the designer’s work in the exhibition Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos Muse.
What Else Has Luke Newton Starred In?
Luke Newton has recently completed production on Bridgerton season 4, which is scheduled for release in 2026. He will also star alongside Lucy Hale in the sci-fi thriller White Mars.
Will House Of McQueen Come To Australia?
House of McQueen will debut at The Mansion at Hudson Yards in New York and currently does not have confirmed international dates. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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