Cast announced for world premiere of Max Porter's "Lanny"

2 Sep 2026

Adapted by Bea Roberts and directed by Nancy Medina, this flagship production of Bristol Old Vic’s landmark 260th year runs from 16 Oct – 7 Nov.

Bristol Old Vic today unveils the cast for Lanny, the world premiere stage adaptation of Max Porter’s acclaimed novel, transformed for the stage by award-winning West Country playwright Bea Roberts and directed by Bristol Old Vic Artistic Director Nancy Medina.

A Bristol Old Vic production in association with English Touring Theatre, Lanny is the hotly anticipated flagship production of Bristol Old Vic’s 260th year. The production runs at Bristol Old Vic from 16 October to 7 November, with press night on 22 October.

The company features Hanora Kamen as ‘Jolie’; Raj Bajaj as ‘Robert’; Richard Cant as ‘Pete’;  Rupert Holliday Evans as ’The Lecturer’ (and other roles); Amanda Lawrence as ‘Peggy’ (and other roles); and Liam Bergin and Rose Wardlaw in multiple roles. With the majority of the cast drawn from Bristol and the wider South West, the production places exceptional regional talent at the heart of this major world premiere.

The role of ‘Lanny’ will be shared by young actors Atlas Johnson-Dutfield and Lucian Thomas in their professional stage debuts.

Set in a village not far from Bristol, Lanny follows a family newly arrived from the city whose young son awakens the attention of Dead Papa Toothwort, a mythic figure listening from the woods. Reality and imagination collide in a dark and dazzling story of folklore, fable and the fierce human need to belong.

 First published in 2019, Porter’s spellbinding novel was nominated for the Man Booker Prize and hailed by The Guardian as “a joyously stirred cauldron of words” and by the Financial Times as “magically beguiling”. Five years in the making, Bristol Old Vic is thrilled to bring this extraordinary imaginative force to the stage.


Hanora Kamen plays Lanny’s mother, ‘Jolie’. A familiar face in Bristol theatre, her previous work includes the recent TRP/Bristol Old Vic production Badgers, The Wardrobe Ensemble productions Education, Education, Education, RIOT, and 1972: The Future of Sex, as well as recent productions of Henry V (RSC) and Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), while her television credits include Hijack for Apple TV+.


Raj Bajaj plays Lanny’s father, ‘Robert’. A Bristol-based actor with an impressive range across major national stages and screen, his extensive theatre credits include Ballet Shoes and A Tupperware of Ashes (National Theatre), The Constant Wife, Tartuffe and The Buddha of Suburbia (RSC). His screen credits include Killing Eve, Casualty (BBC) and A Christmas Prince 2&3 (Netflix).


Richard Cant plays ‘Pete’. A highly versatile stage and screen actor, his work spans landmark productions, contemporary classics and acclaimed screen dramas. His stage credits include the National Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest and The Normal Heart, and numerous roles with the RSC, Royal Court and Cheek by Jowl. His film and television credits include Stan & Ollie, Mary Queen of Scots,The Crown and It’s a Sin.


Rupert Holliday Evans plays ‘The Lecturer’ (and other roles). With a screen and stage career spanning four decades, he is a regular presence on British television. Credits include Showtrial, A Touch of Frost, Doctor Who, Skins, Patience,A Taste for Murder and Grace. His most recent screen credits include the soon to be releasedBatman: Knightfall, the 2026 Netflix series Nemesis, alongside classics such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Wuthering Heights and Blitz. Stage roles include Minotaur (Unicorn Theatre), Bordergame (National Theatre Wales) and An Enemy of the People (UK Tour). 

Amanda Lawrence returns to Bristol Old Vic in multiple roles including ‘Peggy’. She has created stand-out performances from Bristol to Broadway and is known for extensive theatre credits include the National Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Angels in America (Broadway and National Theatre), as well as Henry VIII (Shakespeare’s Globe), Bristol Old Vic’s Wonder Boy, and Kneehigh Theatre productions including Tristan & Yseult, Brief Encounter and Nights at the Circus. Her screen credits include Commander Larma D’Acy in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and The Last Jedi, as well as Suffragette, Christopher Robin, Berlin Noir, Malory Towers and Series 2 of Rivals.


Liam Bergin appears in multiple roles. Best known to television audiences for playing Danny Mitchell in EastEnders from 2010–2017, his recent stage credits include Abigail’s Party (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), The Marriage of Figaro (Watermill Theatre) and Romeo & Juliet (Exeter Northcott).



Rose Wardlaw appears in multiple roles. Her theatre credits include The Winter's Tale (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Blithe Spirit (Theatre Royal Bath/West End), As You Like It (RSC) and Eyam (Shakespeare’s Globe).

 


Young South West actors Atlas Johnson-Dutfield and Lucian Thomas share the title role of ‘Lanny’. Both make their professional stage debuts in this major world premiere after being discovered through an open call audition earlier this year, bringing fresh local talent to the heart of the production.

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