He is in his final season at the helm of the Southwark theatre; he will be succeeded later this year by Matthew Warchus.

Spacey previously appeared in a short run of the play at the theatre last June. It is presented in the Old Vic's CQS Space, an in-the-round transformation of the theatre's auditorium that was first employed for the 2008 production of The Norman Conquests that subsequently transferred to Broadway.

In a press statement prior to the show's original run, Spacey commented, "I am thrilled to be returning to The Old Vic stage, for the first time performing in the round, such an exciting transformation of our Old Vic space for actors and audiences alike. As I celebrate ten years at the helm of this very special theatre it feels great to be returning to the character of Clarence Darrow, whom I played both onstage in Inherit the Wind and 22 years ago in the PBS film 'Darrow.'"

In Clarence Darrow, written by David W. Rintels and directed by Thea Sharrock, the larger-than-life Darrow relives some of his pivotal experiences, including the infamous Scopes Monkey and Thrill Killers’ trials, which established his reputation as a courtroom giant and civil rights hero.

Spacey has previously appeared at the Old Vic in Richard III, Speed-the-Plow, National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, A Moon for the Misbegotten (which subsequently transferred to Broadway) and in Trevor Nunn's productions of Inherit the Wind and Richard II. Other theatre includes The Iceman Cometh (Almeida, The Old Vic and Broadway), Lost in Yonkers (Tony Award, Best Supporting Actor), Long Day's Journey into Night with Jack Lemmon, directed by Jonathan Miller (Broadway and West End). He directed Cloaca, the inaugural production of his regime, as well as Complicit there. He is currently starring as Francis Underwood in the Netflix series "House of Cards." To book tickets, contact the box office on 0844 871 7628 or visit oldvictheatre.com.