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Winners of OffWestEnd Awards (Offies) for theatre announced at London ceremony

• More than 50 awards across 10 areas were given to people working across more than 30 productions.
•  The awards celebrate excellence in performance, design, staging, creation, innovation, inclusion and more, primarily in productions at London’s Off-West End theatre venues. 
• Most areas had several winners, reflecting the Offies’ new awards model which aims to highlight the breadth of work across the vibrant independent, alternative and Fringe sector
• Awards were presented this evening in front of an audience of 900 at a ceremony hosted by Divina de Campo at Central Hall Westminster which also included live performances.
• Winners included a broad range of new, emerging and rising names in theatre alongside established practitioners Tim Supple, Philip Ridley and Max Pappenheim. 
• Musicals were recognised as their own area of specialism, in acknowledgement of the unique demands of developing new musical work, enabling OffWestEnd to support and assess productions with shorter runs and more sustainable budgets.
• Among venues, Bush Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Southwark Playhouse took home a several awards for productions over the last year. 
• The evening saw the first-ever live broadcast of the ceremony, in collaboration with The Theatre Channel and ChewBoy Productions

●      This year’s awards slogan is ‘Let’s Show Off’, reflecting award organisers OffWestEnd.com’s ongoing work to celebrate London’s Off West End theatre sector.

The OffWestEnd Awards (known as the Offies), established in 2010 to celebrate independent theatre across Off-West End theatre, have announced the winners of this year’s awards at Central Hall, Westminster, in a ceremony hosted by drag sensation Divina de Campo.

Celebrating the breadth, boldness and innovation of independent, alternative and Fringe theatre across London and beyond, this year’s ceremony brought together artists, producers, venues and creatives from across the sector for an evening recognising outstanding achievement in OffWestEnd theatre.

The 2026 Offices also marked a major milestone for the awards, with the ceremony broadcast live online for the first time in the organisation’s history in collaboration with The Theatre Channel and ChewBoy Productions, expanding access to audiences far beyond the room and allowing the work of the sector to be shared more widely than ever before.

The Offies have a long history of recognising exceptional work before it reaches wider mainstream acclaim, with past winners including Baby Reindeer, Fleabag and Operation Mincemeat. This year’s winners continue that tradition, reflecting the extraordinary range of work being created.

Since 2025 The Offies have operated a streamlined awards model that moves away from traditional fixed areas. Instead, work is recognised across a set of broad and flexible Areas of Exceptional Contribution, allowing the awards to respond more accurately to how theatre is made and experienced across the independent sector.

Throughout the year, Offies assessors reviewed thousands of potential nominees across over 500 productions at over 100 venues.

Denholm Spurr, Director of OffWestEnd said: “The Offies exist to champion the extraordinary creativity, ambition and resilience of the independent theatre sector. This year’s winners represent the very best of OffWestEnd, and it was a privilege to celebrate their work in a ceremony that could also be shared with audiences watching online.”

The ceremony featured live performances from host Divina De Campo, Ilan Evans, Martin Kaspar Orkestar, Gerel Falconer, Jordan Luke Gage and Daniel Krikler, as well as nominees from A Brief Case of Crazy, showcasing the eclectic talent and originality that define the sector.

OffWestEnd Awards 2026 Winners

Production

●     Brixton Calling / Southwark Playhouse Borough / Kick It Anywhere

●     L’Elisir d’Amore / St. Paul’s Church, SW4 / St Paul’s Opera

●     Letters From Max / Hampstead Theatre / Hampstead Theatre

●     Mama Goose / Stratford East / Stratford East

●     One Man Musical / Underbelly Boulevard / Flo & Joan And Avalon

●     Scenes from the Climate Era / Playground Theatre / Gate Theatre

●     The Mystery of Irma Vep – a Penny Dreadful / Jack Studio Theatre / Jack Studio Theatre

●     The Paper Dolls / Little Angel Theatre / Little Angel Theatre, Polka Theatre

●     When the World Turns / Southbank Centre / Oily Cart

Staging

●      Rowan Armitt-brewster / A Brief Case of Crazy / Riverside Studios

• Ashley Pearson / L’Incoronazione di Poppea / Jacksons Lane
• Tim Supple / The Passenger / Finborough Theatre

●      Jamie Hale, Marcella Rick, Claire Beerjeraz / Transpose Pit Party: SUBVERSE / Barbican

Performance 

●      The Cast / After Sunday / Bush Theatre

• Samuel Barnett, Victoria Yeates / Ben and Imo / Orange Tree Theatre
• Rochelle Rose / Black Power Desk / Brixton House
• Paul Keating / Clive / Arcola Theatre
• Ben J Packer / Dick Whittington Pantomime / Harrow Arts Centre
• Theano Papadaki / L’Incoronazione di Poppea / Jacksons Lane
• Anthony Spargo, Louise Cielecki / Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure / Greenwich Theatre
• Rachael Bellis / The Sea Horse by Edward J. Moore / Golden Goose

●      Julia Mcdermott / Weather Girl / Soho Theatre

Design

●      David Shields / Beauty and the Beast: A Horny Love Story / Charing Cross Theatre

• Derek Anderson / Brixton Calling / Southwark Playhouse Borough
• Isabella Van Braeckel / Die Rheinnixen / Battersea Arts Centre
• Mydd Pharo, Cheng Keng / Loop / Theatre503
• Design Creative Team / Not A Word / Barbican
• Oliver Hymans, Dan Southwell / Overheard in a Towerblock / Little Angel Theatre
• Katie Scott, Eve Oakley / Period Parrrty / Soho Theatre
• Anisha Fields, Jonathan Chan, Maia Kirkman-richards / The Firework Maker’s Daughter / Polka Theatre
• Mona Camille / The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights / Park Theatre

●      Karl Swinyard, Kate Bannister / The Mystery of Irma Vep – a Penny Dreadful / Jack Studio Theatre

Sound and Music

●      Max Pappenheim, Tendai Humphrey Sitma, Max Runham / Brixton Calling / Southwark Playhouse Borough

• The Band & Ashton Moore / Cry-Baby, The Musical / Arcola Theatre
• ABH Beatbox (alexander Belgarion Hackett) / Dracapella / Park Theatre
• John Patrick Elliott, Giles Thomas / KENREX / Southwark Playhouse Borough
• Jonathan Darbourne And The Band / La Cenerentola / Jacksons Lane
• Estelle Charlier, Martin Kaspar Orkestar / La Manékine / Barbican
• Leo Geyer / The Elixir of Love (Re-imagined) / Arcola Theatre

●      Gerel Falconer, 3D Williams / Tones – A Hip-Hop Opera / Brixton House

Creation

●      Diane Samuels, Titania Krimpas / As Long As We Are Breathing / Arcola Theatre

• David Javerbaum, Adam Schlessinger / Cry-Baby, The Musical / Arcola Theatre
• Jack Holden, Ed Stambollouian / KENREX / Southwark Playhouse Borough
• Katsiaryna Snytsina / KS6: Small Forward / Barbican
• Megan Prescott / Really Good Exposure / Soho Theatre

●      Phillip Ridley / Tarantula / Arcola Theatre

Innovation

●      Malakaï Sargeant, Khadija Raza, Will Monks / …blackbird hour / Bush Theatre

• Khadija Raza, Malakaï Sargeant / …blackbird hour / Bush Theatre

●      Oli Savage / The Lost Library of Leake Street / The Glitch

Industry & Inclusion

●      Futures Theatre / Argos Archives / Omnibus

• Liam Holmes / Mr Jones / Finborough Theatre
• Georgia Brenchley, Louis Edwards, Alex Marshall, Giada Rocca / Peter Pan: A Pantomime Adventure / Greenwich Theatre
• Joanna Turner, Baseless Fabric / The Elixir of Love (Re-imagined) / Arcola Theatre
• Alexandra O’neill / Too Many Books / Upstairs at the Gatehouse

●      Oily Cart / When the World Turns / Southbank Centre

OffFest

OffFest (BRIGHTON FRINGE)  | Electra / BN1 Arts Centre / The Conor Baum Company

OffFest (CAMDEN FRINGE)  | Spin Cycle / Etcetera Theatre / Berserk Theatre

OffFest (EDINBRUGH FRINGE)  | ALTAR / Underbelly, George Square, The Wee Coo. / Presented by Extraterrestrial. Produced by Em Tambree. Production Management by Kyra Ryan.

OffFest (EDINBRUGH FRINGE)  | Ohio / Assembly Roxy Upstairs / Francesca Moody Productions

OffFest (EDINBRUGH FRINGE)  | Small Town Boys / Zoo Southside Main House / Company: Shaper/Caper

www.shapercaper.com

OffFest (VOILA!)  | Naran Ja / The Playground Theatre / logica picnic

WORLD-CLASS MAGICIANS “THE HORSEMEN” ANNOUNCED FOR

NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE

AT LONDON COLISEUM FROM 31 JULY 2026

ENZO WEYNE, ANDREW BASSO, GABRIELLA LESTER & MATTHEW POMEROY TO STAR

Lionsgate, in collaboration with Tim Lawson & Simon Painter (The Illusionists), today announces the world-class cast of magicians who will lead the stage spectacular NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE at the London Coliseum for 5 weeks only from Friday 31 July to Sunday 6 September 2026.

The cast will feature internationally acclaimed illusion designer and performer, Enzo Weyne; one of the world’s leading escapologists, Andrew Basso;a dynamic rising star of modern magic, Gabriella Lester; and award-winning British magician and master storyteller, Matthew Pomeroy.

Tickets go on general sale on 1 April 2026. For last chance to access priority booking sign up here.

NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE, inspired by Lionsgate’s worldwide blockbuster franchise, Now You See Me, will bring the magic to life with a mix of high-tech illusions, solo stunts, and jaw-dropping spectacles.

A world-class magic ensemble inspired by the film’s characters, “The Horsemen” will stun audiences in a showcase of unmatched synergy. Assembling from around the globe, they will bring an unbelievable arsenal of solo skills, shocking twists and grand feats of illusion to London this summer.

NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE has been dazzling audiences across Australia and Singapore, playing to packed houses – including a completely sold-out run at the Sydney Opera House. Critics at The Sydney Morning Herald called it “a mind-blowing spectacle of illusion and storytelling,” while Broadway World said, “your jaw will hit the floor…a high-energy blend of wonder, humour and jaw-dropping illusions,” cementing its status as a must-see event.

NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE is brought to the stage by Simon Painter (Co-Creator, Executive Producer), Adam Trent (Co-Creator), Tim Lawson (Executive Producer), Ash Jacks McCready (Creative Director, Staging Director), Kirsty White (Creative Director), and Enzo Weyne (Illusion Director), and is co-produced by Runaway Entertainment, BOS Productions and Timothy Laczynski.

The Now You See Me film franchise was produced by Lionsgate and earned $929 million at the global box office. The franchise is based on characters created by Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt and includes two hit films and a third instalment, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which premiered in theatres last November. The film was directed by Ruben Fleischer, with a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael Lesslie, Paul Wernick, and Rhett Reese, and based on a story by Eric Warren Singer.

Website: nowyouseemelive.com

Instagram: @NowYouSeeMeLive

Facebook: @NowYouSeeMeLive

LISTINGS

NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE

Strictly Limited Season from 31 July 2026

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

Box Office: 020 7845 9300

WITZEND PRODUCTIONS AND CHARING CROSS THEATRE PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE

GLENN ADAMSON AND LAUREN JONES 

to LEAD THE WORLD PREMIERE OF  

DARK OF THE MOON

Book by Jonathan Prince

 Music and Lyrics by Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett & Steve Robson

 Based on THE play by Howard D Richardson and William Berney

RUNNING 18 MAY – 8 August at CHARING CROSS THEATRE

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

[31 March 2026] Witzend Productions and Charing Cross Theatre Productions are proud to announce the leading cast members for the world premiere of new musical Dark of the Moon, based on the classic 1941 play by Howard D Richardson and William Berney, will run at Charing Cross Theatre from Monday 18 May to Saturday 8 August 2026, with a national press night on Tuesday 26 May.

Leading the cast of this brand-new musical will be Glenn Adamson as ‘John, The Witch Boy’ and Lauren Jones as ‘Barbara Allen’, with further casting to be announced.

Glenn Adamson is best known for playing Strat in Jim Steinman’s Bat Out of Hell in the West End and in the UK, US and Australian tours, as well as the filmed version and was ranked No. 4 in What’s On Stage’s Most-Trending Theatre Actors of 2025. His other theatre credits include Closer to Heaven (Turbine Theatre), Bat Boy (London Palladium), We Will Rock You (London Coliseum), American Idiot (UK & New Zealand Tour) and many more. Glenn has become a well-known actor in the UK known for his signature rock-style vocals and has performed multiple sold-out solo concerts as London’s Crazy Coqs.

On joining the cast, Glenn said “To say I’m excited for this one is an understatement. When I first heard the demo tracks for the show I was beyond desperate to be part of it.  The soundtrack really is THAT good. London really doesn’t have a show like this one. It fills the folk-rock void we’re all missing. This one’s for the Rockers, the Romantics and the Witches among us.”

Lauren Jones is more recently known for playing ‘Wednesday’ in the recent UK Tour of The Addams Family, but first came to the spotlight as ‘Trish’ and alternate ‘Bonnie’ in Bonnie & Clyde (The Arts; The Garrick & UK tour) and is featured on the West End Cast Recording in both roles. She has since continued to gain notoriety in her role as “I” in Rebecca (Charing Cross Theatre) for which she gained an Offie Award Nomination for Best Leading Actress, Scissorhandz (Southwark Playhouse Elephant) and A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic).

On returning to the Charing Cross Theatre, Lauren said: “I’m incredibly excited to be returning to the Charing Cross Theatre with this new project following Rebecca. From reading the script and hearing the demos, it’s clear there’s something really special at the heart of this piece. I can’t wait to collaborate with the company and bring this intimate, powerful story to life for the audience.”

DARK OF THE MOON is a supernatural tale of powerful witchcraft, small-town prejudices and the power of love. This timeless, spellbinding new musical portrays the clash of two dynamically polarized worlds—a charming rural Appalachian town and the mystical world of witches and warlocks from the Smoky Mountains that loom high above. The show’s unique musical score reflects those conflicting worlds using a thrilling blend of country/bluegrass and rock. Barbara Allen – a human girl and John – a curious witch-boy – find each other and defy their communities to build a life together. But will love conquer all – or will they be haunted by a deal that was made by the dark of the moon?

Directed by Georgie Rankcom (The Frogs; Anyone Can Whistle; How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying; Before After – Southwark Playhouse), the musical features a book by Emmy® Award nominee Jonathan Prince (American Dreams) and music and lyrics by Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum songwriters Lindy Robbins (Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper”), Dave Bassett (Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s”) and Steve Robson (Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most”).

Originally written by Howard Richardson and William Berney while students at the University of Iowa in the early 1940s, the play Dark of the Moon is loosely inspired by the traditional Scottish ballad Barbara Allen. Following its original Broadway production by the Shubert Organization, the play has been widely produced internationally and has attracted notable performers and directors including Paul Newman, George C. Scott, Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones. Sir Peter Brook directed a London production at the Ambassador Theatre in 1949.

The story has recently re-entered the cultural conversation through references in the Stranger Things stage play The First Shadow and the final season of the hit Netflix series.

Georgie Rankcom said, “Dark of the Moon has captivated audiences since the 1940s, and it’s exciting to see the story finding new resonance today — most recently through its appearance in the world of Stranger Things. This musical adaptation allows us to rediscover the story for a new generation.”

Additional members of the creative team are choreographer Jane McMurtrie, musical supervisor Brad Haak, musical director Matt Herbert, orchestrator Dillon Kondor, casting director Peter Noden, production designer Libby Todd, lighting designer Jonathan Chan and sound designer Andrew Johnson.

The show is produced by WitzEnd Productions LLC (Michael Jackowitz and Jeffrey Grove), and Steven M Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Limited and is general managed by Steven M. Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Limited. Dark of the Moon is presented by special arrangement with the Richardson/Yale Property Trust, Elliot S. Blair, administrator.

Further and creative team to be announced in due course.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – 29th March 2026

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4****

Bizet’s masterpiece, Carmen, makes a sonically triumphant return to Malvern Theatres – brought to us this time by the Dnipro Opera.

The story concerns Don José falling for the obvious (though morally dubious) charms of Carmen, abandoning his former life (soldiering, a sweetheart and his elderly mother) and becoming jealous of the attention she garners wherever she goes which (being an opera) ends about as well as your standard Country Music tune.

The orchestra, masterfully conducted by Ihor Puchkov, were outstanding from first to last. They brought those familiar tunes to life with a sensual vibrancy that the composer would have undoubtedly been proud of. And the band were tight.

Don José (played by Teimuraz Parulava) was a believable leading man, with a towering presence. His singing was suitably muscular and full of testosterone (just like the character he was portraying). I particularly enjoyed his unleashed wrath in the scene where Carmen makes it known that her affections have moved on. A bravura performance.

Karyna Verezub, as Carmen, wastes no time getting straight into one of the most famous opera arias ever, the “Habanera”; a personal manifesto that perfectly (and rapidly) portrays why men everywhere should have had the good sense to run for the hills (and not the hills the smugglers are in later)! Verezub had a self confident air that served her characterization well – although I did think that more could have been done to play up the feline slinkiness that I have enjoyed so much in previous versions of Carmen.

There’s something about the twirling of hair, skirt and hands whilst castanets (or tambourines) are playing that makes the senses reel. Ah, España! Unfortunately, I felt that the production lacked a certain je ne sais quoi and it was in the crowd scenes that it was highlighted most keenly. There was a certain spicy, fiery… Spanishness just not there. What the flamenco artists call Duende. I just wasn’t convinced that I was watching Spaniards in full flow – it was the difference between watching a flamenco show for tourists compared with being in an authentic gypsy flamenco bar. A shame – but even so, all were in fine voice.

Escamillo (played by Andrii Lomakovych) provided an uproarious highlight; the “Toreador Song”, which was vocally spot on. And Micaela’s big moment comes with her third act aria, bringing the highlight of the evening for me – as Nadiia Yeremenko conveyed her character’s piercing internal anguish with impressively heartfelt singing that melted my heart!

The curtain descended to rousing applause and deserved ovations. The ending of the opera is a tragedy but the biggest tragedy of the night is that all these years on we continue to find ourselves standing in solidarity with the Ukraine in their defence of their homeland. I hope our applause and cheers conveyed to all involved how much support they still receive from us – and may we have an end to this dreadful war before they return.

This opera, like Spain, is gorgeous, alluring and untamed! Although it did fall slightly short in the rousing Iberian passion stakes, musically it was a total triumph! I cannot wait for this company to return with their next series.

SAM LUPTON

TO PLAY DAVE FISHWICK IN THE

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF

BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL

OPENING MAY 2026 AT

LOWRY, SALFORD &

CURVE, LEICESTER

FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED

Producers ROYO, Future Artists Entertainment, Curve and Lowry are delighted to announce Sam Lupton (Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses UK tour, Boq in Wicked, West End) as Dave Fishwick in the world premiere of BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL which will open in May 2026 at Lowry and Curve respectively.

He joins Samuel Holmes (Calamity Jane, UK tour) as Sir Charles Denbigh, alongside the previously announced Hayley Tamaddon as Nicky, Lucca Chadwick-Patel as Hugh, Claire Moore as Maureen and Lauryn Redding as Alex.

Also in the cast are  Zachary Willis (After The Act, Royal Court, New Diorama), as Danny / Andy, Mark Peachey (The Wizard of Oz, Curve), as Cher / Clarence, Joni Ayton-Kent (If/Then, Savoy Theatre), as Megan/Mary, Adam Colbeck-Dunn (Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre, The Sound of Music, Curve), as Marco, Hannah Nuttall (Cinderella, Theatre Royal Wakefield) as Mavis, Rosie Strobel (42nd Street, Kilworth House Theatre) as Barbara, Minal Patel (My Fair Lady, Curve) as Ali, Elliot Broadfoot (Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder!, Ambassadors Theatre) as Omari, Althea Burey (The Parent Agency, Chester Storyhouse) as Betty and Jhanaica Van Mook (101 Dalmatians – The Musical, Hammersmith Apollo), as Claire.

The musical will have a book and lyrics by Rob Madge (My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), Cabaret), music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary (The Great British Bake Off Musical, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾), direction by Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Kinky Boots, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music), choreography by Ebony Molina (Avenue Q, Just for One Day), set and costume design by Amy Jane Cook (Boys From the Blackstuff), musical supervision by Toby Higgins (Burlesque, The Musical), orchestrations by Tom Curran (The Great British Bake Off Musical), lighting design by Ben Cracknell (Kinky Boots), sound design by Tom Marshall (A Chorus Line), video design by Duncan McLean (The Bodyguard), casting by Harry Blumenau CDG (Legally Blonde), associate direction by Ollie Khurshid (Legally Blonde) & James Robert Moore (The Hunger Games On Stage), associate choreography by Dale White (The Sound of Music), musical direction by Matthew Jackson (Standing at the Sky’s Edge) and production management by Chris Easton (Kiss of the Spider Woman).

BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL is based on the Sunday Times best-selling book, BAFTA Award-winning documentary and global-hit Netflix film of the same name with a screenplay by Piers Ashworth.

“If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: everybody hates bankers.”

BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL is a home-grown, brand-new British musical – bursting with northern grit, laugh-out-loud humour and what Dave himself calls “the best songs in any musical ever.”

This feel-good show tells the true-ish story of Dave Fishwick: Burnley born and bred, and no ordinary man. A self-made millionaire, Dave spent years helping local people and small businesses when hard-nosed banks turned them away. Frustrated by the system, he has an idea…set up his own bank and put the profits straight back into his community.

With posh but principled lawyer Hugh at his side, Dave swaps Burnley for London to take on the banking bigwigs and fight for a fairer deal. But will the fat cats of the City make way for Dave’s dreams?

From Sunday Times bestseller to Netflix’s #1 UK film, Dave’s inspiring underdog story now bursts onto the stage as a laugh-out-loud British musical packed with heart, humour and cracking new music.

‘The humour of The Full Monty with the spirit of Billy Elliot, but with a few more ba*tard bankers, and an unlikely hero from Burnley!’ – Dave Fishwick

BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL is produced by ROYO, Future Artists Entertainment, Curve and Lowry. Katie Lander is the consultant for Finestripe Productions.

Website: bankofdavemusical.com

Instagram: @BankOfDaveMusical

TikTok: @BankOfDaveMusical

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

2 – 16 May 2026                     Lowry, Salford                                                0161 876 2000                                                                        www.thelowry.com    

20 – 30 May 2026                   Curve, Leicester                                            0116 242 3595

                                                www.curveonline.co.uk               

RENU ARORA IS AWARDED THE PEGGY RAMSAY AWARD FOR NEW WRITING TO DEVELOP 

“THE BURGUNDY BOOK” 

AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF WRITING ABOUT HER NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

Renu Arora, the award winning disabled actor, singer, writer and composer, has been awarded the Peggy Ramsay Foundation Grant. The £5,000 award supports the development of The Burgundy Book, a groundbreaking digitally immersive musical inspired by Arora’s own life-altering accident and Near-Death Experience (NDE).

On 29 March 2017, Renu Arora, was hit by a bus and saw her leg disappear underneath the wheel. Almost nine years to the day later, this award facilitates the transition of Arora’s work from its current album form into a full-scale libretto and digitally immersive musical for the stage.

Previous winners of the prestigious award have performed across the West End, Broadway and Internationally. Playwrights ‘73 is a successor to the Thames Television Theatre Writers Scheme which was originally founded in 1973 and subsequently supported by Pearson (as the Pearson Playwrights’ Scheme) and Channel 4.

This builds on her current work as a Resident Artist (25/26) with Arts Depot who also contributed to the development of the project via seed funding and a residency. 

Beyond the physical changes, the accident was profoundly transformative. In the suspended moments of a Near-Death Experience (NDE), Renu witnessed a “Life Review” in the form of three books. She saw the Blue Book of her past and the Green Book of her survival. But just as she reached The Burgundy Book – containing her unlived future – she screamed. This scream thrust her back into her body, and she never saw the contents of the book.

Written, composed and performed by Renu Arora, directed by Erica Whyman OBE, previously the Acting Artistic Director of Royal Shakespeare Company, Dramaturgy by Sita Brahmachari, (Malorie Blackman Impact Prize Winner 2025 & Waterstones Book Prize Winner) with Music Consultancy by Marc Teitler, credits including The Magician’s Elephant (RSC), The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic), Baddies (Unicorn Theatre). 

The first single from the current concept album version of The Burgundy Book – Liferaft Into Tomorrow – is currently available to listen on all streaming services.

Renu Arora, the creator of The Burgundy Book, said: “I didn’t expect to get this brilliant award! I’m over the moon. This has come in the same week as the nine-year anniversary of the accident and near-death experience from which The Burgundy Book emerged. The timing feels deeply serendipitous. Since my accident, and especially since the NDE, I’ve felt there is no such thing as coincidence. Everything that happens – whether good, bad, or indifferent – feels exactly right. I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”

About Renu Arora

Renu Arora is an award-winning Disabled artist – actor, singer and writer – and a public figure of South Asian heritage, with a body of work spanning over two decades. She was shortlisted for Unlimited UK Open Awards (2024), Shortlisted for the BBC Arts Commissioning Round, Radio 4 (2024), a founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Freelance Consultation Group (2022), received the NRI (non-resident Indian) Award for ‘Most Empowered and Courageous Artist’ (2022) and a finalist for the BBC Culture in Quarantine Initiative (2021) for The Burgundy Book album.

Her original stage and audio projects have been commissioned by Arts Council England and The Royal Literary Fund, presented at leading UK venues, streamed internationally, and featured widely across the BBC. She has worked with major institutions including the Royal Shakespeare Company, London’s Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Bristol Old Vic, Soho Theatre, Leicester Curve, Riverside Studios and Theatre Royal Stratford East, and has collaborated with companies such as Tamasha, Tara Arts and Kali Theatre. 

She regularly features on BBC Radio you can hear her appearance on BBC Sideways below.

About Peggy Ramsay

Peggy Ramsay was the most admired British play agent of the twentieth century. With a matchless ability to visualise a play just by reading it on the page, she set up in business in 1953, and over the years nurtured and developed the most dazzling client list which included Eugene Ionesco, Joe Orton, Robert Bolt, David Mercer, John McGrath, Iris Murdoch, John Mortimer, James Saunders, Peter Nichols, Charles Wood, Ann Jellicoe, Edward Bond, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Alan Ayckbourn, Caryl Churchill, Howard Brenton and Willy Russell.  Her role in the development of modern British drama was central.

One of the most remarkable things about her was her instinctive generosity. Peggy believed that the living playwright belonged at the centre of the theatre. A theatre without new writing talent to refresh it was worthless.

And she often backed her belief by opening her handbag and offering dramatists cash from her wallet. On her death in 1991, her will stipulated that her legacy should go to ‘benefit writers in need of assistance… and to the encouragement of the art of writing.’ Her executors G Laurence Harbottle and Simon Callow set up the Peggy Ramsay Foundation to achieve this aim.

Relevant Links:

• Liferaft Into Tomorrow – Spotify Link, Apple Music Link
• BBC Radio 4’s Sideways – Bliss in Suffering

CAST AND MUSICIANS
FROM THE HIT WEST END MUSICAL
HADESTOWN
TO PERFORM LIVE AT
V&A SOUTH KENSINGTON
ON SATURDAY 25 APRIL AT 11AM
AS PART OF THE V&A’S PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL 2026

It is announced today that cast and musicians from the Tony® and Grammy Award-winning musical sensation Hadestown will give a very special live performance at the V&A South Kensington on Saturday 25 April at 11am. 

Set against the epic backdrop of the museum’s Medieval and Renaissance Gallery and surrounded by sculptural depictions of figures from Greek mythology, the Hadestown West End company will perform a selection of songs from the show, bringing the critically acclaimed musical to one of London’s most iconic cultural institutions.

The event forms part of the V&A’s Performance Festival 2026, which is this year inspired by the theme of ‘echos’, exploring reverberation, repetition and mythmaking through storytelling, placemaking and the memory-forming power of music and sound, past and present. The programme will include live performances, screenings, talks, tours and workshops throughout the museum from 24 April to 03 May 2026.

The Medieval and Renaissance Gallery is located near the main entrance of V&A South Kensington on Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Entrance to the gallery is free of charge.

The producers of Hadestown said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the V&A for its ‘echos’ themed  Performance Festival, and to bring Hadestown into such an inspiring and historic space. At its heart, Hadestown is a story that has echoed through centuries, and this performance is a wonderful opportunity to share that journey with audiences in a completely unique way.”

A joyful combination of folk, jazz and blues, Hadestown intertwines two ancient Greek mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone – taking audiences on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back. Come and see how the world could be. 

The West End cast ofHadestown includes Rachel Adedeji as Persephone, Bethany Antonia as Eurydice, Marley Fenton as Orpheus, Alastair Parker as Hades, and Clive Rowe as Hermes. 

The company is completed by Melanie Bright, Spike Maxwell and Lauran Rae as the Fates; Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Gabriela Benedetti, Ollie Bingham and Sebastian Lim-Seet as the Workers, with Juan Jackson, Oisín Nolan-Power, Lindo Shinda, Jasmine Triadi and Milly Willows as Swings. 

Now in its third year in the West End, Hadestown is currently booking through to Sunday 13 December 2026, at the Lyric Theatre, London. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit uk.hadestown.com

For more information on the V&A’s Performance Festival 2026, please visit vam.ac.uk/festival/2026/performance-festival-2026 

Park Theatre announce new shows for Summer and Autumn

• Holy Fool, the world premiere of a new play examining art created under tyranny and the life of Dmitri Shostakovich
• Thom Southerland adapts and directs a stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film, The Pianist
• Original Theatre return to Park200 with The Importance of Being Oscar
• The Talking Drum: Voices of the Andover Estate is a powerful new verbatim play foregrounding the voices of a local community fighting to be heard
• Deafinitely Theatre create a British Sign Language adaptation of Mike Bartlett’s extraordinary play Bull 

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Five new productions have been announced as part of Park Theatre’s Summer and Autumn seasons, including theworld premiere of Holy Fool, examining the life and works of composer Dmitri Shostakovich under the brutal Soviet regime.Following this,The Pianist adapted by Thom Southerlandfrom Wladyslaw Szpilman’s internationally bestselling memoir, and the inspiration behind the Academy Award-winning film. Paula Garfield MBE will be directing Deafinitely Theatre’s adaptation of Mike Bartlett’s Bull, and Original Theatre return to the venue with their revival of Micheál MacLiammóir’s The Importance of Being Oscar. Finally, ParkTheatre collaborates with London Metropolitan University and the local community in a new verbatim play confronting the media’s vilification in 2007 of Islington’s renowned estate in The Talking Drum: Voices of the Andover Estate.

Park Theatre kicks off the summer with the fourth iteration of their hugely popular celebrity-led murder mystery fundraiser Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] (11 May – 28 June),this time locating the action in the Wild West. Following this, Original Theatre return with The Importance of Being Oscar (22 July – 22 Aug), a revival of Micheál MacLiammóir’s play directed by Michael Fentiman and starring Alastair Whatley. Original Theatre have previously enjoyed runs of The Interview, The End of The Night, and most recently the Olivier Award-nominated The Time Machine – A Comedy at Park Theatre.

The first of two productions about musicians creating art under dictatorships, Holy Fool (27 Aug – 10 Oct) follows celebrated composer Dmitri Shostakovich at the height of Stalin’s brutal regime, where he finds himself struggling to accept that his music must be a tool of the state. Under constant threat of torture and death, he’s forced to publicly conform while privately resisting. Holy Fool is an exploration of the absurdity of tyranny, the bravery of resistance and the triumph of the human spirit. 

Next, Thom Southerland (Parade, Titanic) directs his new adaptation of The Pianist (15 Oct– 28 Nov)based on Wladyslaw Szpilman’s extraordinary bestselling memoir, the inspiration behind the Academy Award-winning film. Original compositions from the so-called ‘Polish Gershwin’ score his story: popular songs and compositions that made him a star. A cast of virtuoso actor-musicians conjures the golden age of Jewish Warsaw in all its warmth and wit: the packed concert halls, the candlelit cafés, the irrepressible spirit of a city that loved music above all else. At its heart, this is a love letter to culture, to the artists and dreamers who carried it, and to the extraordinary power of creativity to outlast even the most turbulent chapters of history.

Over in Park90, the local community will be given a voice onstage in The Talking Drum: Voices of the Andover Estate (19 – 29 Aug), a powerful new verbatim play created from interviews conducted by London Metropolitan University researchers. A portrait of a vast and diverse neighbourhood, interwoven stories charting more than 50 years of history, and confronting MP Ann Widdecombe’s highly-publicised vilification of Islington’s renowned estate in 2007. They explode assumptions about class and identity and ask: what does community mean to residents now?  

Finally, from Deafinitely Theatre and directed by Paula Garfield MBE, Bull (30 Sept – 24 Oct) by Mike Bartlett is adapted with fully integrated BSL and creative captioning, and is the company’s second production of his work following Contractions in 2017. Four colleagues sit in a meeting room. Jobs are on the line. The rules are unspoken, but everyone knows them. Bull is a strained and unsettling examination of workplace bullying, power and survival. As pressure builds, alliances shift and cruelty surfaces, exposing a system where fear thrives and empathy disappears. 

Artistic Director Jez Bond said, “We’re incredibly proud to be announcing a season that feels expansive and deeply rooted in who we are. Bold new work like Holy Fool, a world premiere production in association with Wild Yak, represents our continued commitment to developing and producing exciting new work in-house. Whilst a powerful new adaptation of The Pianist and the wit and charm of The Importance of Being Oscar contribute to a summer programme that celebrates storytelling in all its forms.

“In Park90, The Talking Drum: Voices of the Andover Estate, remains central to the identity of our local area. Borne out of four years of conversations between London Metropolitan University researchers and the estate’s residents, it enables Park Theatre to fully reflect the voices of the community around us and ask the big questions. Finally, we are thrilled to be welcoming Mike Bartlett’s Bull, in partnership with Birmingham Rep Theatre and Deafinitely Theatre, and continuing to champion creative collaboration and genuine inclusivity, bringing together artists and audiences in meaningful and exciting ways.”

Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park. Boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In 12 years, it has enjoyed 10 West End transfers (including Rose starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, an RSC transfer and 14 national tours. Park Theatre has also been the recipient of seven Olivier Award nominations, won multiple OffWestEnd Offie Awards, and a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage, as well as their inaugural Campaign of the Year award in 2025 for their work reaching underserved audiences with Canadian/Korean comedy drama Kim’s Convenience. Park Theatre co-commissioned and co-produced the world premiere of The Meat Kings! (inc.) of Brooklyn Heights which won the 2026 Susan Smith Blackburn Award.

Listings information

Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP

www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*

* Telephone booking fee of £3 per transaction applies. All ticket prices are inclusive of a £1.50 building levy. 

Social media

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Facebook         @ParkTheatreLondon

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Park200                                                                       22 Jul – 22 Aug

The Importance of Being Oscar | Presented by Original Theatre & Reading Rep Theatre in association with Park Theatre

By Micheál MacLiammóir, directed by Michael Fentiman
Cast: Alastair Whatley

Oscar Wilde was a dandy of speech, a dandy of manner, a dandy of dress, and a dandy, even, of ideas and intellect. He fell in love with eccentric socialites, travelled to America with nothing to declare except his genius, and found worldwide success as a playwright. This is the story of how his life of fame, glamour, and romance led him to become an imprisoned outcast.

The Importance of Being Oscar immerses audiences in a compelling journey through the loves and losses, successes and struggles of the man. It is a beautiful tribute to an icon of the world of theatre, liberally laced with Wilde’s signature wit and wisdom and featuring excerpts of many of his best-loved works including An Ideal Husband, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ballad of Reading Gaol.

Running time: 1hr 50 mins (inc interval)

Access performance tbc

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I From £22.50 (standard), From £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat, bands B, C and D only), £18.50 (access), £10 (Park Under 30, Band C & D) I Previews from £15

Park90                                                                                                                                     19 – 29 Aug

The Talking Drum: Voices of the Andover Estate | Presented by Park Theatre, London Metropolitan University and the Andover Estate Community Centre

World Premiere

‘As soon as people hear our postcode, we get labelled. That is the hardest thing living on the estate – that label.’

A powerful new verbatim play foregrounding the voices of a community fighting to be heard.  

A retired ballerina finds herself suddenly homeless. At university, a youth worker struggles against stereotypes. Resident ‘007’ can’t get the council to listen to them, and NJ dreams of being allowed to play the African Drums.

Putting the voices from Islington’s Andover Estate centre stage, The Talking Drum is a captivating portrait of a vast and diverse neighbourhood.

A blend of theatre, grassroots storytelling and digital media, the interwoven stories spanning more than 50 years offer an urgent and deeply personal counter-narrative to decades of negative media portrayal. The production explodes assumptions about class and identity to ask: what does community mean to residents now?

Created from three years of interviews conducted by a project team led by Professor John Gabriel with Dr Alya Khan and Gulser Rose Kaya (London Metropolitan University), adapted by writer-director Tony Graham. 

Mon – Sat 7pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | From £18 (standard), £9.50 (access), £10 (Park Under 30)

Park200                                                                       27 Aug – 10 Oct

Holy Fool | Presented by Park Theatre and Wild Yak

World Premiere

By Rosalind Adler and Lea Sellers, directed by Kate Fahy

His music made him. It could destroy him.

At the height of Stalin’s brutal regime, celebrated composer Dmitri Shostakovich finds himself struggling to accept that his music must be a tool of the state. Under constant threat of torture and death, he’s forced to publicly conform while privately resisting. He walks a perilous line between obedience and defiance—creating work that must comply while all the while subtly resisting.  

Holy Fool is a tense, darkly witty exploration of the absurdity of tyranny, the bravery of resistance and the triumph of the human spirit. 

Relaxed performance 7 September 7.30pm, audio described 12 September 3pm, BSL 18September 7.30pm

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I From £22.50 (standard), £18.50 (access), £10 (Park Under 30, Band C & D) I Previews £15 

Park90                                                                         30 Sept – 24 Oct

Bull | Presented by Deafinitely Theatre and Birmingham Rep in association with Park Theatre

By Mike Bartlett, directed by Paula Garfield

Who gets to stay? Who is pushed out? And who decides? 

Four colleagues sit in a meeting room. Jobs are on the line. The rules are unspoken, but everyone knows them. 

Bull is a strained and unsettling examination of workplace bullying, power and survival. As pressure builds, alliances shift and cruelty surfaces, exposing a system where fear thrives and empathy disappears. 

Sharp, darkly funny and deeply uncomfortable, Bull lays bare the human cost of a working culture shaped by competition, hierarchy and silence. How far will people go to protect themselves?  

This is Deafinitely Theatre’s second adaptation of a play by Mike Bartlett, following the Off West End Award-winning, critically acclaimed and sold-out production of Contractions in 2017. Bull is presented in the company’s distinctive bilingual style, combining British Sign Language, spoken English and creative captions and is directed by Deafinitely’s award-winning Artistic Director Paula Garfield MBE.

All performances have integrated BSL and creative captioning

Mon – Sat 7.45pm, 3.15pm matinees Thu & Sat | From £18 (standard), £9.50 (access), £10 (Park Under 30) Preview From £15

Park200                                                                       15 Oct – 28 Nov

The Pianist | Presented by Wolk Transfer Company in association with Park Theatre.

World Premiere

Directed by Thom Southerland

Based on Wladyslaw Szpilman’s extraordinary internationally bestselling memoir, the inspiration behind the Academy Award-winning film, this landmark new production, adapted and directed by the acclaimed Thom Southerland (Titanic the Musical), brings one of the twentieth century’s most remarkable true stories to the stage featuring Szpilman’s own music for the very first time. 

Original compositions from the so-called ‘Polish Gershwin’ score his story: popular songs that had Warsaw humming, compositions that made him a star, all given rich new life in orchestrations by Simon Lee, Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s long-time musical director. A cast of virtuoso actor-musicians conjures the golden age of Jewish Warsaw in all its warmth and wit: the packed concert halls, the candlelit cafés, the irrepressible spirit of a city that loved music above all else. 

At its heart, this is a love letter to culture, to the artists and dreamers who carried it, and to the extraordinary power of creativity to outlast even the most turbulent chapters of history. Szpilman’s music doesn’t merely accompany this story; it breathes life into it, binding past to present and reminding us that some things, once made, can never truly be silenced. 

Profound. Life-affirming. Unmissable.

Audio described 6 November 7.30pm

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinees Thu and Sat 3pm I From £22.50 (standard), From £20 (65+ Mon eve and Thu mat, bands B, C and D only), £18.50 (access), £10 (Park Under 30, Band C & D) I Previews from £15 

★★★★★

‘Movie magic come to life’

Radio Times

THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS… ARE BACK!

SMASH HIT, GREASE: THE IMMERSIVE MOVIE MUSICAL

IS NOW ON SALE

★★★★

‘This is a masterpiece. A spectacularly ambitious show’ Evening Standard

Tickets are now on sale for the return of the critically acclaimed Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical via www.greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com.

This summer Secret Cinema is welcoming audiences back to Rydell High once more with the return of the smash-hit Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, following its sold-out run in 2025. The production opens at Evolution London in Battersea Park for a strictly limited run from 22 July to 13 September.

★★★★

‘A joyful, communal experience. The songs are all showstoppers’ WhatsOnStage

Each performance of Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical is a two-and-a-half-hour spectacular. From ‘Summer Nights’ to ‘Greased Lightnin’’ to ‘We Go Together’, every iconic song from the beloved 1978 Paramount Pictures film comes to life as a knock-out cast and live band perform against multiple movie screens.

From the moment they enter this modern live experience, audiences step into the world of the movie, exploring the iconic locations including Frosty Palace, The Autoshop, and The Carnival and immerse themselves in school spirit, training with Coach Calhoun, cheering on the T-Birds, taking part in a choir practice and even tasting 1950s American diner-style delights.

The innovative production is brought to life by the multi-award-winning creative team of Matthew Costain – Director; Tom Rogers – Set Designer; Jennifer Weber – Choreographer; Howard Hudson – Lighting Designer; Gareth Fry – Sound Designer and Ian William Galloway – Video Designer.

Due to popular demand, summer 2026 will feature even more themed Roam and Return seating, allowing audiences to explore the experience and return to dedicated seating at Frosty Diner or The Drive-In.

Secret Cinema & TodayTix present

GREASE: THE IMMERSIVE MOVIE MUSICAL

Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical is produced by Secret Cinema and TodayTix (Merritt Baer, Artistic Director and Co-Founder; Ben Hosford, Executive Producer).

Director: Matt Costain; Choreographer: Jennifer Weber; Set Designer: Tom Rogers; Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson; Sound Designer: Gareth Fry; Music Supervisor, Orchestrator and Arranger: Steve Sidwell; Video Designer: Ian William Galloway; Costume Designer: Susan Kulkarni and Martina Trottman; Wigs, Hair and Make-up: Farida Ghedwar and Jessie Deol; Casting Director: Grace McInerny for Pippa Aillion and Natalie Gallacher Casting

22 July – 13 September

Gala Performance: Wednesday 29 July at 7:30pm

Listing Information

Evolution London, Battersea Park,

Chelsea Bridge Gate, Queenstown Road, London SW11 4NJ

www.greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com

22 July – 13 September PERFORMANCES

Tues – Sun 7:30pm (Sun 5:30pm) Sat 2:30pm, Sun 12:30pm

To stay up to date

Follow @greaseimmersive on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

TICKETS

General Admission (Standing Ticket) from £49

Roam & Return (Seated Ticket) from £59 – Roam and return to dedicated themed seating at either The Drive-In or Frosty Diner

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY’S MAJOR REVIVAL

OF PETER SHAFFER’S EQUUS

With their production of The Holy Rosenbergs currently running at the venue, The Producers running in the West End and Sabrage at Lafayette, the Menier Chocolate Factory announce today full casting for Lindsay Posner’s major revival of Peter Shaffer’s Equus, in its co-production with Theatre Royal Bath Productions. Joining the previously announced Toby Stephens (Dr. Martin Dysart) are Amanda Abbington (Hesther Salomon), Bella Aubin (Jill Mason), Emma Cunniffe (Dora Strang), Paula James (Nurse), Colin Mace (Frank Strang), Ed Mitchell (Nugget/Young Horseman), David Rubin (Dalton) and Noah Valentine (Alan Strang), with Luke Hodkinson, Aristide Lyons, Zach Parkin, Tommi Sutton and Moses Ward.

The production opens at the Menier on 18 May, with previews from 8 May, and runs until 4 July, ahead of a run at theatre Royal Bath from 14 to 25 July.

EQUUS

By Peter Shaffer

Menier Chocolate Factory: 8 May – 4 July

Theatre Royal Bath: 14 – 25 July

Cast: Amanda Abbington (Hesther Salomon), Bella Aubin (Jill Mason), Emma Cunniffe (Dora Strang), Paula James (Nurse), Colin Mace (Frank Strang), Ed Mitchell (Nugget/Young Horseman), David Rubin (Dalton). Toby Stephens (Dr. Martin Dysart) and Noah Valentine (Alan Strang), with Luke Hodkinson, Aristide Lyons, Zach Parkin, Tommi Sutton and Moses Ward

Directed by: Lindsay Posner; Set and Costume Design: Paul Farnsworth; Lighting Design: Paul Pyant; Composer and Sound Design: Adam Cork; Movement Director: James Cousins

Presented in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath

What prompts a 17-year-old boy to blind six horses?  This is the challenge presented to psychiatrist Martin Dysart as he delves into the psyche of his young patient Alan Strang to search for the answers and at the same time questioning whether the cure is more dangerous than the crime.  Peter Shaffer’s brilliantly intriguing award-winning play is now considered a modern masterpiece.

Amanda Abbington plays Hesther Salomon. Her theatre credits include (This is not a) Happy Room (King’s Head Theatre), When it Happens to You (Park Theatre), The Unfriend (Criterion Theatre), The Son (Kiln Theatre/Duke of York’s Theatre), The Little Princess (Royal Festival Hall), The God of Carnage, Abigail’s Party (Theatre Royal Bath), God Bless the Child (Royal Court Theatre) and Love Me Tonight (Hampstead Theatre). Her television credits include The Family Pile, Desperate Measures, Wolfe, The Net, Sherlock, I Hate Suzie, Mr. Selfridge (as series regular Miss Mardle), Cuffs, The Queen and I, Unsaid Stories, Safe, Married Single Other and After You’ve Gone; and for film, The Lost King, Three Pints and a Rabbi, Decrypted, The Six Days of Sistine, Crooked House, Another Mother’s Son and Ghost.

Bella Aubin plays Jill Mason. A recent RADA graduate, her theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre) and Macbeth (Lyric Hammersmith).

Emma Cunniffe returns to Menier to play Dora Strang – she previously appeared in Proof. Her other theatre credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Edward II, Three Sisters, Major Barbara, Twelfth Night (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Trials (Marlowe Theatre), Scandaltown (Lyric Hammersmith), Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Hogarth’s Progress (Rose Theatre Kingston), Queen Anne (RSC/Theatre Royal Haymarket), Wendy and Peter Pan (RSC), Conquest of the South Pole (Arcola Theatre/Rose Theatre Kingston), A Doll’s House (Manchester Library Theatre), Dumb Show (Rose Theatre Kingston), Educating Rita (Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre), A Buyer’s Market, Caravan (Bush Theatre), As You Like It (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh), Hamlet (Oxford Stage Company), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Bristol Old Vic), Losing Louis (Hampstead Theatre/ Trafalgar Studios), Tales from Hollywood (Donmar Warehouse), The Entertainer (The Old Vic), The Glasshouse (Hampstead Theatre) and Women Beware Women (RSC). For television, her work includes Marble Hall Murders, Call the Midwife, A Very Royal Scandal, Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Chelsea Detective, The Long Shadow, Grantchester, Agatha Raisin, Endeavour, Roadkill, The Irregulars, Unforgotten, George Gently, Father Brown, Waterloo Road, Moving On, Jo, Southcliff, Good Cop, Doctor Who, A Place of Execution, Northern Lights, Trouble in Paradise, 10%ers, All the King’s Men, Blue Murder, Cracker, Cuts, Dangerfield, Flesh and Blood, Great Expectations, Life After Birth, Love or Money, Plain Jane, Rough Diamond, The Cry, The Genius of Mozart, The Innocents, The Lakes (as series regular Emma Quinlan) and The Whistleblower; and for film, H is for Hawk, Miss Marx, The Rabbit on the Moon, Tube Tales, Dreaming of Joseph Lees and Among Giants.

Paula James plays Nurse. Her theatre credits include The Three Little Pigs (Unicorn Theatre/ Chichester Festival Theatre), The Snow Queen (Polka Theatre), The Lost Spells (Theatre by the Lake/ Watford Palace Theatre/Polka Theatre), The Wind in the Wiltons (Wilton’s Music Hall), Our Man in Havana (Watermill Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Rose Theatre), Gin Craze! (Royal and Derngate, China Plate and ETT), The Eternal Summer, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Robin Hood, Julius Caesar (Guildford Shakespeare Theatre), Hamlet (Iris Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (RSC), The Gingerbread Man (Hiccup Theatre tour), Dead Reckoning (Young Vic), Alice in Wonderland (Derby Theatre), Snow

Child (international tour), Half a Horse, Unearthed, The Gift (New Vic Staffordshire) and The Revenger’s Tragedy and The Tragedy of Marian (Lazarus Theatre). Her television work includes The Agency and Jerk.

Colin Mace plays Frank Strang. His theatre work includes Arcadia, Time and the Conways (The Old Vic), War Horse, The Magistrate, Saint Joan (West End), Hamlet (Broadway/Almeida Theatre), Alterations; One Man, Two Guvnors; War Horse (National Theatre), We Anchor in Hope (Royal Court Theatre) and Othello, The Lieutenant of Inishmore (RSC). His television work includes, FBI: International, The Gold, Sexy Beast, Maigret, The Diplomat, Before We Die, A Spy Among Friends, Marriage, Slow Horses, Young Wallander, Trying, Washington, War of the Worlds, A Confession, This Country, Dark Heart, Strangers, Silent Witness, Endeavour, Broken, Prime Suspect 1973, Father Brown, I Want My Wife Back and Thirteen; and for film, Savage Hunt, Back to Black, Cyrano de Bergerac and Last Night in Soho.

Ed Mitchell plays Nugget/Young Horseman. His stage credits include Hamlet (RSC), The Party (Breakin Convention), Sunny Side (Northern Rascals and UK tour), How About Now (Lowry and le Bridgettine), Call for Creation, Illegal Side (Dutch tour), Tom, A Good Man (Bullyache), Illegal Dance (UK tour), SCRUM (Avant Garde tour), Duet 6 (Institute of Contemporary Arts) and White Lies (Botis Seva).

David Rubin plays Dalton. His theatre credits include The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (Chichester Festival Theatre), Tamburlaine, Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, The Grain Store, American Trade, Julius Caesar, Le Morte d’Arthur, Antony and Cleopatra, The Tempest (RSC), Oxy and the Morons (New Wolsey Ipswich), Woyzeck (The Old Vic), People, Places and Things (National Theatre/Headlong/West End), Richard III (West Yorkshire Playhouse), A Mad World My Masters (RSC/ETT), Pitcairn (Out of Joint/Shakespeare’s Globe/Chichester), Twelfth Night (Liverpool Everyman), These Trees Are Made of Blood (BAC), The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Kensington Palace Gardens), Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World (BAC/Tara Arts), The Overcoat (Gecko Theatre), Taylor’s Dummies (Gecko Theatre), Fightface (Lyric Hammersmith), The Threepenny Opera, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, The Tempest (National Theatre), Stomp (Yes/No Productions), Five Guys Named Moe (West End), Company (New Wolsey Ipswich), Sleeping Beauty (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and Peter Pan (Southampton Nuffield). His television work includes Grantchester, Vera, Doctor Who, Birds of a Feather, The Block, Too Close for Comfort, Three Sheets to the Wind, The Passion, Sitting Pretty and Mysteries of July; and for film, Judy and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.

Toby Stephens plays Dr. Martin Dysart. His theatre credits include Wendy and Peter Pan, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coriolanus, Unfinished Business, Wallenstein, All’s Well That Ends Well, Antony and Cleopatra, Tamburlaine (RSC), Corruption (Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Lincoln Center, NY), The Forest (Hampstead Theatre), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Trafalgar Studios), Oslo (National Theatre/Harold Pinter Theatre), Private Lives (Chichester Festival Theatre/Gielgud Theatre), Danton’s Death (National Theatre), The Real Thing (The Old Vic), A Doll’s House, Betrayal (Donmar Warehouse), The Country Wife, The Royal Family, Japes, A Streetcar Named Desire (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Ring Round the Moon (Lincoln Center), Phedre and Britannicus (Almeida at the Albery Theatre/BAM) and Tartuffe (Playhouse Theatre). His television work includes Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Season, A Cruel Love, The Split, Dodger, One Day, How to Date a Pleasure Seeker, Prisoner, Alex Rider, Summer of Rockets, Lost in Space, Black Sails, And Then There Were None, Vexed, Strike Back, Robin Hood, Wired, The Wild West, Jane Eyre, Sharpe’s Challenge, The Best Man, The Queen’s Sister, London, Cambridge Spies, Napoleon, Perfect Strangers, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and The Camomile Lawn; and for film, Giant, Marama, The Kashmir Princess The Morrigan, Journey, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, All Things To All Men, The Machine, Theatre of Dreams, Dark Corners, Severance, The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey, Die Another Day, Space Cowboys, Possession, The Announcement, Onegin, Photographing Fairies, Sunset Heights, Cousin Bette, The Great Gatsby, Twelfth Night and Orlando.

Noah Valentine plays Alan Strang.  His theatre credits include Noughts and Crosses (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). For television, his work includes Waterloo Road (as series regular Preston Walters), Casualty, Indie No.9, The Boy and Mother’s Day; and for film, Good Boy.

Peter Shaffer’s (1926 – 2016) plays include Five Finger Exercise (Evening Standard Drama Award), The Private Ear/The Public Eye, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Black Comedy, The White Liars, Amadeus (Evening Standard Drama Award and Tony Award for Best Play), Yonadab, Lettice and Lovageand The Gift of the Gorgon. He also wrote the screenplays for the film versions of Equus and Amadeus.

Director Lindsay Posner has directed in every major London theatre as well as the RSC and on Broadway. His recent credits include Endgame (Bath’s Ustinov Studio), the double bill of Pinter’s The Lover and The Collection (Ustinov Studio), The Deep Blue Sea and A View from the Bridge (both at Theatre Royal Bath and Theatre Royal Haymarket), Noises Off (Theatre Royal Bath, Phoenix Theatre and UK tour), and Edward Albee’s classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Theatre Royal Bath). For the Chocolate Factory, he has previously directed The Truth (also at Wyndham’s and Theatre Royal Bath), The Lie, Communicating Doors, Abigail’s Party (also at Wyndham’s and UK tour) and Dinner with Saddam.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

THE HOLY ROSENBERGS

Until 2 May

EQUUS

8 May – 4 July

Theatre Royal Bath: 14 – 25 July

MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET

11 July – 12 September

MENIER ELSEWHERE

THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

Currently booking until 19 September

SABRAGE

Lafayette London

Currently booking until 6 September

Box Office: 020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website: www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Instagram: @menierchocolatefactory