The production is to begin performances at the theatre from the 10th January.
Rehearsal images have been released for Tricia Thorns’s production of Don’t Destroy Me, written by pioneering Jewish writer Michael Hastings when he was 18 and tells the story about Jewish refugees in post-war London.
The production, presented by Two’s Company, the cast includes: Game of Thrones star, Nell Williams (Blinded by the Light, Warner Brothers; Love and Information, The Royal Court Theatre) as Suki; Nathalie Barclay (Positive, Park Theatre; Killing Eve, BBC) as Shani; and Sue Kelvin (Doctor Who, BBC; A Streetcar Named Desire, The National Theatre) as Mrs Miller. Nicholas Day (Witness For The Prosecution, London County Hall; The Crown, Netflix) will play the role of The Rabbi, joined by Alix Dunmore (The 39 Steps, Criterion Theatre and West End; Call the Midwife, BBC) as Mrs Pond. Timothy O’Hara (Shakespeare in Love, Noel Coward Theatre; Sherlock Holmes, Warner Brothers) will perform as George, as well as Paul Rider (The Comedy of Errors, The Globe; Dying for It, Almedia Theatre) , who will play Leo. Eddie Boyce will be playing Sammy in their professional stage debut, having trained at The Royal Scottish Conservatory.
August 1956. It’s a day of excitement. Young Sammy comes to live with his father and stepmother, 15 years after they escaped as refugees from Nazi Europe. Raised from infancy by an aunt in Croydon, he now comes to London to work as an apprentice. But the young man’s arrival – eagerly and nervously anticipated – disrupts the secrets and settled ways of this rackety Jewish household and their neighbours, in ways nobody could have foreseen.
Tricia Thorns (What the Women Did, Southwark Playhouse; Ex and Black ‘Ell, Soho Theatre) is Artistic Director of Two’s Company. Having started her career as an actress in the West End as part of John Neville’s company at the Fortune Theatre, she played leading roles in plays from Pinter to Ayckbourn in theatres all over Britain. Alongside her direction, will be Producer of Two’s Company, Graham Cowley (The Weir, Wyndham’s Theatre; My Night with Reg, The Criterion Theatre) who has produced all of the company’s previous productions. He has also worked across and produced shows at venues such as Paines Plough, The Royal Court Theatre and The London Palladium.
Meanwhile, the creative team behind this production will be: Set Designer Alex Marker, Costume Designer Carla Joy Evans, Lighting Designer Neill Brinkworth, Sound Designer Dominic Bilkey, Production Manager Lucie Regan, Stage Manager Maja Lach and Assistant Stage Manager Leo Dunlop.
Don’t Destroy Me will play at the Arcola Theatre from the 10th January until the 3rd February.