Oscar-nominee pulls out of Dublin Theatre Festival performances next month

The Irish actress was set to play Bette Davis in the play.

Last month, the Irish actress was announced to be taking part in the theatre event. She was set to star in Radio Bette in the Gaiety Theatre, a production which would have seen her play the screen icon, Bette Davis.

Today (Friday, 21 August), however, The Goat Exchange - the performance company behind the show - said it regretted to announce that Negga will be "stepping back" from Radio Bette.

In a statement, it added: "We are deeply grateful to Ruth for the time, generosity, and extraordinary work she has brought to the project.

"Radio Bette will open at the Gaiety Theatre, as part of Dublin Theatre Festival, this September as planned. Further casting will be announced in the coming days."

Radio Bette will run from 23-27 September at the Gaiety Theatre. The new cast member will be revealed within the next 7-10 days, Dublin Theatre Festival also confirmed.

The production is inspired by a rare rehearsal recording of a 1951 Bette Davis radio broadcast from the Lux Radio Theater.

"The piece unfolds live, as performers listen to the original recording and recreate it in real time," the description reads.

"As the cast channels the voices and personas of legendary screen icons including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Baxter, and Thelma Ritter, the boundaries between actor and character begin to blur.

"The result is an arresting interrogation of identity, celebrity, performance, persona and ownership.

"Radio Bette is both an homage to classic Hollywood and contemporary experimental theatre, about the layers of performance that shape public and private selves."