While many movie stars seek solace in the stage, Daniel Radcliffe has truly embraced it since his Harry Potter duties were relinquished. The Fulham-born star will make it a Broadway hat-trick when he and Michael Grandage Company take The Cripple of Inishmaan to America for its stateside debut.

Daniel RadcliffeDaniel Radcliffe grinning in a bad jacket

Previews for the New York run start on April 12 at the Cort theater – a 1,802-seater venue, before the play officially opens eight days later on on April 20. The Cripple of Inishmaan - first staged in 1996 – is a dark take on Irish identity.

It sees Radcliffe star as the 17-year-old orphan Billy, who lives on a remote island in 1930s Ireland. His remote existence is suddenly thrown into disarray when a chance of escape from a life of boredom and mockery presents itself; an American film crew arrives on a neighboring island to shoot a movie.

Radcliffe has already proven to the critics than he can cut it on stage; British reviews of his turn in ‘The Cripple’ have been almost unanimously positive. The Harry Potter actor, who faced criticism early in his career due to the supposed ‘easy’ nature of his trajectory, has been keen to dispel many myths imposed on him by the media.

He’s done this by agreeing to some really challenging roles, most notably his turn as Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings. His West End debut was in 2007 and his Broadway debut in 2008 in Equus. He returned to Broadway in 2011 for How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.

2014 looks set to be a golden year for Broadway, with A Raisin in the Sun starring Denzel Washington, and James Franco in John Steinbeck classic Of Mice and Men both launching in the Spring.

Daniel RadcliffeAnd here's Radcliffe looking dapper