Denzel theWest End king

EVEN if Denzel Washington doesn’t walk away with the coveted Best Actor Oscar tonight for his role in the gritty 1950s-set drama Fences, the Hollywood star could soon be reigning supreme in the West End.

The 62-year-old has sat down with Fences producer Scott Rudin to discuss playing King Lear on the London stage.

Double Oscar winner Denzel, pictured below, reveals: ‘I’m talking to Scott. He brought up the idea of playing King Lear, but I don’t know yet – we’ll see.’ The actor is no stranger to the Bard – he played Don Pedro in Kenneth Branagh’s 1993 film Much Ado About Nothing – but the prospect of Denzel appearing in the West End would surely spark a ticket frenzy.