Outside the March and The Company Theatre have announced that they have joined forces to bring Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem to the stage. The long-awaited Canadian premiere will be headlined by Kim Coates, star of Sons of Anarchy and the upcoming Netflix event series Godless.

Returning to the theatre after twenty-five years, Coates will take on the now-iconic role of Johnny “Rooster” Byron, an aging daredevil and purveyor of drugs, alcohol, mythic tales, and sanctuary to the troubled teens of England’s Wiltshire County.

“When Sons of Anarchy ended I was looking for something… A play, a part, something that I couldn’t say no to,” Coates said of his return to the stage after such a long absence. “Mitchell Cushman and Philip Riccio, both cutting edge voices in Canadian theatre today, brought that ‘something’ to me. Jerusalem is a powerhouse play, and the part of Johnny Byron scares the hell out of me, which is exactly where my craft loves to live. 2018 can’t get here fast enough.”

Cushman, who directed the Dora Award–winning productions of Vitals and Mr. Marmalade, plans to bring the immersive theatre experience he’s known for to the play’s setting of Byron Wood, where “audiences will […] have a chance to experience one of Rooster’s bacchanalian forest raves and, like the characters, do battle against the commercial interests looking to bulldoze this sanctuary.”

Of directing the play’s Canadian premiere, Cushman said, “I have been aching to bring this show to Toronto since I first directed a reading of it years ago for the Shaw Festival. For me, introducing this play to Canada, with a national icon of Kim’s stature, talents and presence in this central role, has the makings of the kind of explosive theatre experience I live for.”

Jerusalem will be on stage in Toronto for a limited engagement, beginning February 13. For tickets or more information, click here.

Check out some of Kim Coates’s most memorable roles: