Casting announced for the West End transfer of Tom Morris' Touching the Void
15 Jul 2019
Casting has today been announced for Touching the Void. Following critically acclaimed runs at Bristol Old Vic, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Hong Kong Arts Festival and on Tour in the UK, Tom Morris’ production of Touching the Void will star Fiona Hampton, Patrick McNamee, Josh Williams and Angus Yellowlees. The show will open in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre previewing from November 9th for a strictly limited season with an opening night of November 14th.
Fiona Hampton will play Sarah. Her theatre credits include: Much Ado About Nothing(Shakespeare’s Globe); Tamburlaine (Yellow Earth/Arcola Theatre and UK tour); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Wolsey Theatre); Private Lives (Octagon Theatre/New Victoria Theatre); Winter Hill, The Glass Menagerie, Tull, Of Mice and Men, Lighthearted Intercourse (all Octagon Theatre); Don’t Laugh (Cockpit Theatre); Playhouse Creatures (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Changeling (The Production Works/Southwark Playhouse); Roar, Clockheart Boy (Rose Theatre Kingston); The Merchant of Venice (Derby LIVE). Film includes: The Good Neighbour, Revolution, Kingsman: Secret Service, The Windmill, Legacy. Television includes: The Collection(Amazon Prime/BBC Worldwide); Switch (ITV); Holby City (BBC); The Sarah Jane Adventures (DW Productions).
Patrick McNamee will play Richard. His theatre credits include: French Without Tears(Orange Tree Theatre); The History Boys (Selladoor); Sweeney Todd, A Few Good Men, Love and a Bottle, The Way of the World, Three Sisters, Hamlet, Women Beware Women, Iona Rain, For Services Rendered (all LAMDA). Film includes: The Invisible Hours (VR project). Television includes: Series regular on Our Girl, Inspector George Gently (BBC).
Josh Williams will play Joe. His theatre includes: If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You (Project Arts Centre); One Night in Miami (Donmar Warehouse); Barbarians (Found 111); New Views: Is There a WIFI in Heaven?(National Theatre); Wendy and Peter Pan (RSC); Love and Information, Our Private Life(Royal Court); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe); Shivered (Southwark Playhouse); Lord of the Flies (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). Television includes: Doctors, May Day, Holby City (BBC); Agatha Raison (Sky One); Midsomer Murders, Law and Order (ITV).
Angus Yellowlees will play Simon. Angus trained at LAMDA graduating in 2017 where credits whilst training included Bury Fair, Hobson’s Choice and The Cherry Orchard.
Screen credits include The Last Commanders (BBC) and We Have Everywhere To Go(NFTS). Radio work includes The Balloaloes and The Gnats. Angus is originally from the Scottish Borders and is a keen climber. Touching the Void will be his professional stage debut.
Bristol Old Vic's Tom Morris (War Horse, Swallows & Amazons,) directs the first stage version of Touching the Void, adapted by The Lyceum's David Greig (The Events, The Suppliant Women, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) from the award-winning memoir by Joe Simpson, which also became a BAFTA-winning film. They are joined by Designer Ti Green, Sound Designer and Composer Jon Nicholls, Lighting Designer Chris Davey, Movement Director Sasha Milavic Davies and with casting by Jill Green CDG.
This production marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Joe Simpson’s best-selling memoir, charting his extraordinary struggle for survival on the perilous Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes. Alongside this struggle is the appalling dilemma of his climbing partner Simon Yates, perched on an unstable snow-cliff, clinging onto the rope tying him to the severely injured Joe. Unable to recover Joe from the void, Simon is faced with the agonising decision to cut the rope that binds them…
Bristol Old Vic is the longest continuously running theatre in the UK, and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2016. The historic playhouse aims to inspire audiences with its own original productions, both at home and on tour, whilst nurturing the next generation of artists, whether that be through their 350-strong Young Company, their many outreach and education projects or their trailblazing artist development programme, Bristol Ferment.
They use their funding to support experiment and innovation, to allow access to their programme for people who would not otherwise encounter it, or be able to afford it, and to keep their extraordinary heritage alive and animated.
On 24 Sep 2018, Bristol Old Vic completed its 2-year multi-million pound redevelopment project, which transformed its front of house space into a warm and welcoming public building for all of Bristol to enjoy, created a new studio theatre and opened up its unique theatrical heritage to the public for the first time.