The production will play at the Bunker Theatre from the 11th June.
Casting for Exchange Theatre’s production of Jean-Paul Sartre’s play at the Bunker Theatre has been confirmed, ahead of the show beginning performances from the 11th June.
It has been announced that the cast will be led by French actress Meena Rayann (Game of Thrones, HBO; Hilda, Odds On Productions
2019; multi-award winning No Love Lost, Intelligent Ink Films) as the downtrodden Electra and in his professional debut Samy Elkhatib will appear as vengeful brother Orestes. Meanwhile, Exchange Theatre co-founders, Mauritius-born French actor, David Furlong (Offie-nominated
productions of The Doctor in Spite of Himself and The Misanthrope, Exchange Theatre) will play Aegisthus and Fanny Dulin, originally from Bordeaux, (The Misanthrope, Exchange Theatre; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Mystery Plays) will perform both as the traitorous
mother Clytemnestra and as a fate-led Fury.
They will be joined on stage by Raul Fernandes (Dangerous Liaisons;
Don Juan; Quartier des Banques, RTS) as the God of Flies, Belgian Juliet Dante (award-winning St Joan, Julia Pascal; The Dybbuk, Off-Broadway) as The Tutor, with Paris-born Jonathan Brandt (Much Ado About Nothing and Nell Gwynn, Tower Theatre Company; The Learned Ladies, Exchange Theatre) as The Anonymous. Completing the Greek chorus as The Woman/Fury is Soraya Spiers (Thursday, Southwark Playhouse; The Penelopiad, Jackson’s Lane Theatre; critically-acclaimed Made Up, Arts Theatre) and Chris Runciman (NewsRevue, Canal Café Theatre;
Broke Britannia, Bridewell Theatre; Gaga V. Assange, Adelaide Fringe) as the High Priest/Fury.
Performed in alternating French and English, the production is directed by David Furlong who said: “Some of the most interesting challenges have been raised in this casting process: how do we represent diversity, gender-parity, equity, and disability on stage? All of these questions, in keeping with the current public debates, are part of our responsibility. We’re also incredibly proud to be joined by amazing talents and recognisable
faces. The diversity, high profiles and quality of the fully bilingual cast we’ve assembled this year is a testimony to Exchange Theatre establishing itself as a meaningful player.”
Orestes comes back to his birth-place of Argos to find his people under the oppression of fear and guilt: they all bear the burden of King Agamemnon’s assassination. Orestes knows he’s free and he will defy Gods and Kings. As Orestes is hounded by Jupiter, god of flies, fear and death, The Flies examines freedom, oppression and courage.
The production’s creative team includes: video design by Jason Greenberg and Giuliana Pulcini, set design by Ninon Fandre and music by A Riot in Heaven.
The Flies will be performed at the Bunker Theatre from the 11th June until the 6th July.