Gemma Arterton, Lennie James, Rory Kinnear, Alison Steadman & Meera Syal to star in Unprecedented: Theatre from a State of Isolation

GEMMA ARTERTON, ERIN DOHERTY, LENNIE JAMES, RORY KINNEAR, ALEX LAWTHER,  ALISON STEADMAN AND MEERA SYAL TO STAR IN HEADLONG AND CENTURY FILMS’ UNPRECEDENTED: THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION

  • PATRICIA ALLISON, ARTHUR DARVILL, MONICA DOLAN, JULIAN BARRATT, SUE JOHNSTON, ARCHIE MADEKWE, JAMES NORTON, ABRAHAM POPOOLA, KIRUNA STAMELL, RHASHAN STONE, FENELLA WOOLGAR AND OLIVIA WILLIAMS HAVE ALSO BEEN CAST
  • UNPRECEDENTED WILL FEATURE WORLD PREMIERES OF OVER 10 NEW SHORT, DIGITAL PLAYS FROM CELEBRATED PLAYWRIGHTS, WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, REHEARSED AND PERFORMED IN ISOLATION
  • CREATING NEW WORK FOR THE PROJECT ARE CELEBRATED PLAYWRIGHTS APRIL DE ANGELIS, JOSH AZOUZ, DEBORAH BRUCE, JOHN DONNELLY, JAMES GRAHAM, CHARLENE JAMES, MATILDA IBINI, JASMINE LEE-JONES, DUNCAN MACMILLAN, ANNA MALONEY, NATHANIEL MARTELLO-WHITE, CHLOË MOSS, PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH AND TIM PRICE  
  • NED BENNETT, TINUKE CRAIG, BLANCHE MCINTYRE, DEBBIE HANNAN, CAITLIN MCLEOD, JEREMY HERRIN, OLA INCE , BRIAN HILL AND HOLLY RACE ROUGHAN ARE AMONG THE DIRECTORS WORKING ON THE PROJECT
  • UNPRECEDENTED: THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION WILL BE BROADCAST BY THE BBC IN MAY AS PART OF BBC ARTS’ CULTURE IN QUARANTINE INITIATIVE

Headlong and Century Films have today announced a cast of over 50 UK actors taking part in Unprecedented: Theatre from the State of Isolation. A series of new digital plays written in response to the current Covid-19 Pandemic, Unprecedented will be broadcast across the nation during lockdown as part of BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative.

Written by celebrated playwrights and curated by Headlong, Century Films and BBC Arts, Unprecedented explores our rapidly evolving world, responding to how our understanding and experiences of community, education, work, relationships, family, culture, climate and capitalism are evolving on an unprecedented scale. The series will ask how we got here and what the enduring legacy of this historic episode might be.

The cast for Unprecedented includes;

Sadia Ahmed

Kae Alexander (Deep State; Fleabag),

Esh Alladi (Ordinary Love; A Confession),

Patricia Allison (Sex Education),

Gemma Arterton (Summerland; Their Finest),

Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh; Flowers)

Paul Chahidi (This Country; The Death of Stalin),

Ines De Clercq (Broadchurch),

Risteárd Cooper (Quiz; Delicious),

Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who; Broadchurch),

Natalie Dew (Sandylands; Peter Rabbit),

Erin Doherty (The Crown; Junkyard)

Monica Dolan (Official Secrets; W1A),

Michael Elwyn (StellaCoronation Street),

Denise Gough (People, Places and Things; Angels in America),

Frances Grey (Ordeal by Innocence; Home Fires),

Kathryn Hunter (Timon of Athens; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix),

Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls),

Geraldine James (Back To Life; 45 Years),

Lennie James (The Walking Dead; Save Me),

Sue Johnston (The Royle Family; Downton Abbey), 

Rory Keenan (Long Day’s Journey into Night; Versailles),

Lisa Kerr (Top Girls),

Rory Kinnear (Years and Years; Brexit: The Uncivil War),

Laurie Kynaston (The Son; How to Build a Girl),

Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World; Howards End),

Archie Madekwe (See; Midsommar),

Anna Madeley (Deadwater Fell; Patrick Melrose), 

Marcello Magni (Fragments; Arlecchino),

Lucianne McEvoy (Crocodile Fever; Ulster American),

Jodie McNee (Faustus: That Damned Woman; Britannia),

Cecilia Noble (Nine Night; Downstate),

James Norton (Happy Valley; The Trial of Christine Keeler),

Enyi Okoronkwo (Noises Off; Giri/Haji),

Abraham Popoola (Party Time; Julius Caesar), 

Boadicea Ricketts (Bartholomew Fair),

Golda Rosheuvel (Lady MacbethA Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer),

Sid Sagar (White Teeth; The Starry Messenger),

Rochenda Sandall (Line of Duty; Pomona), 

Gyuri Sarossy (The Absence of War; The Two Noble Kinsmen), 

Kiruna Stamell (The New Pope; Cyrano de Bergerac),

Rebekah Staton (Raised by Wolves; Home),

Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey; Care),

Rhashan Stone (Keeping Faith; All About Eve),

Meera Syal (Noises Off; The Kumars at No. 42)

Stuart Thompson (A Taste of Honey), 

Amy Trigg (The Taming of the Shrew; Measure For Measure), 

Dickon Tyrell (Labour of Love; Anatomy of a Suicide),

Olivia Williams (TartuffeCounterpart),

Gabby Wong (Rogue One; Troilus and Cressida)

Fenella Woolgar (Handbagged; Call the Midwife) and

Sargon Yelda (Strike; Anthony and Cleopatra).

They will join the previously announced directors and playwrights working on the project. 

Using digital conferencing technology to rehearse and film each play, these intimate new works will give an immediate insight into this extraordinary communal experience. Unprecedented: Theatre from a State of Isolation will be broadcast by the BBC as part of the BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative and made available to stream online from May.