Additional Casting Announced For The West Coast Premiere Of THE JUNGLE

Today, Carole Shorenstein Hays and Sonia Friedman Productions with Tom Kirdahy announced the additional casting for the West Coast Premiere of the Good Chance Theatre, National Theatre and Young Vic production of THE JUNGLE by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at San Francisco's Curran. Set in Europe's largest unofficial refugee camp in Calais, France, the Jungle became a temporary home for more than 10,000 people in 2015. Under the direction of Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, the limited engagement begins Tuesday March 26, 2019 and will run through Sunday, May 19, 2019. Opening night is Thursday, April 4, 2019. Tickets for THE JUNGLE are $25-$165 and are available now at SFCURRAN.com/jungle. $25 day-of rush tickets to THE JUNGLE will be made available through a partnership with TODAY TIX.

The company is made up of actors from countries around the world, including actors from refugee backgrounds, some of whom came through the Jungle. Newly announced cast members include Moe Bar-El, Lorraine Bruce, Tommy Letts, Catherine Luedtke, Zara Rasti, Ibrahim Renno, Rachid Sabitri, Bisserat Tseggai, Tim Wright, and Khaled Zahabi.

Previously announced cast members include Alexander Devrient, Ammar Haj Ahmad, Trevor Fox, Yasin Moradi, Jonathan Nyati, John Pfumojena, Rachel Redford, Dominic Rowan, Mohamed Sarrar, Milan Tajmiri, Ben Turner, and Nahel Tzegai all of whom transfer from the West End and St. Ann's Warehouse.

Less than three years after its massive and historic renovation, Curran's 1600 seat proscenium theater will once again undergo a remarkable transformation in order to house THE JUNGLE's 360° staging and designer Miriam Buether's award-winning set. Audiences will inhabit the world of the Afghan café in the Calais camp, with the mezzanine allowing unique views over the performance space. This extraordinary transformation will reduce the capacity of the theater to an intimate 600 seats.

Meet the hopeful, resilient residents of The Jungle - the short-lived, self-governing society that emerged within a sprawling refugee camp in Calais, France. Join the residents over freshly baked naan and sweet milky chai at the Afghan Café. Take a seat where men, women and children fleeing war and persecution created a world offering warm hospitality, amidst squalor and danger. This "devastating, uplifting show" (The Guardian) is "a story we need to hear" (Time Out London).

Moe Bar-El trained at The Identity School of Acting in London. Theatre credits include: Everday I Make Greatness Happen (Hampstead Theatre, Downstairs), Moormaid (Arcola), Punk Rock (Courtyard Theatre) and Awkward Silences (Sadler's Wells). Film credits include: Zero and Austenland. TV Credits: Code 404, Doctors, Snatch, Le Bureau Des Legendes, Tyrant, Phoneshop, and Black Mirror.

Lorraine Bruce Theatre credits include: Queen Margaret (Royal Exchange Theatre), That Day We Sang (Manchester Opera House); Les Misérables (Queen's); Piaf (Donmar Warehouse); A Model Girl (Greenwich Theatre); Vernon God Little (Young Vic Theatre); Scruffer (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Late Joys (Players Theatre); Get Ken Barlow (Watford Palace Theatre) and Mail Order Bride (Oldham Coliseum). Film includes: King Arthur: Knights of the Roundtable, Provoked, Dark Corners, Eden Lake and Scouting Book for Boys. Television includes: White Gold, Will, Kerry, The Syndicate Series 3, Lucky 7, The Syndicate Series 2, The Royle Family, The Gates, Life's Too Short, The Syndicate, Come Fly With Me, The Bill, Time Gentlemen Please, Party Animals, Dalziel & Pascoe and Holby City.

Alexander Devrient is from Germany and Lebanon. His theatre credits include: Die Entuhrung aus dem Serail (Glyndebourne); L'Avare (European Tour); Twelfth Night (Greenwich Playhouse); Silent Chalk (Old Theatre Royal Bath); The Tragedy of Soliman & Perseda (Rose Theatre Bankside). Film includes: The Danish Girl, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Television includes: Genius: Picasso, SS-GB, Das Institut, Emmerdale, Le Bureau des Legendes and Alarm fur Cobra 11.

Trevor Fox is from Britain. Theatre credits include: Macbeth, Common (National Theatre); People, Places & Things (Headlong/National Theatre tour); Amedee (Birmingham Rep); The Tempest, Cymbeline, The Oresteia, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gabriel, Coriolanus, Under The Black Flag (Shakespeare's Globe); King Lear, Children's Children (Almeida Theatre); The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Apollo). His film credits include: Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason; Gabriel & Me; Billy Elliot.

Ammar Haj Ahmad is from Syria. Theatre credits include: Returning to Haifa (Finborough); LOVE (National Theatre/ Birmingham Repertory); Goats/Told From the Inside (Royal Court); Kan Yama (Cockpit Theatre). His film credits include: London Tomorrow; ALEGNA; Wall; Round Trip; Wada'an; Monologue. His television work includes: Agatha Raisin; Letters from Baghdad.

Tommy Letts was born in London, and joined the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, graduating in 2018. While at CSSD, he took on the role of Tuzenbach in Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, directed by Mike Alfreds. Tommy also performed at The Yard Theatre in Scenes from the End of the World, written by Chris Bush and directed by Sarah Davey-Hull. An accomplished Baritone, Tommy is also learned in both piano and guitar. This is his professional debut.

Catherine Luedtke* (she/her/hers) is a British actor based in San Francisco. Theatre includes: The Jungle (The Curran Theatre); The War of The Roses, Pygmalion and (upcoming) Macbeth (California Shakespeare Theater); Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (Crowded Fire Theater; Resident Artist); The Tragedy Machine: Dawn at Bar Bazooka, (M.I.T. List Visual Arts); Top Girls, Braggart Soldier, Middletown and The Lion In Winter (Custom Made Theatre; Company Member); and with New Conservatory Theater, Stanford Rep, PlayGround, The Breadbox, Artists Rep and Third Cloud From The Left. International Theatre: Debts: The Erotic Review Sinai, (National Gallery, Prague); and Said The Assassination (David Lynch's 'Silencio', Paris). Film: Love at The Frankfurt Autoshow, The Bride of Death. www.catluedtke.com. *Member Actors Equity Association.

Yasin Moradi is a Kung Fu Master from Iran. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and was a lecturer in sport at universities in Iran. He has been in the UK for two and a half years. His Kung Fu work includes: National Iranian Kung Fu Team and regular performances at the National Kung Fu Festival of Iran and the Tehran Kung Fu Show. Teacher of Kung Fu at Good Chance, Calais, and Encampment, South Bank Centre. His theatre work includes: Encampment (Southbank Centre), Hope Shows (Good Chance Calais). Belarus Free Theatre (Leicester), Migration Festival (Leicester). As part of the theatre ensemble Psyche Delight, Yasin has toured internationally performing the show Borderline at the 10th International Theatre Festival of Kerala in India, Denmark Theatre Festival and the Pleasance Theatre, London.

Jonathan Nyati is Congolese. Theatre credits include: Hotel (National Theatre); Promise (Belgrade Theatre); Love is Not Enough, Will Today Ever End (Tricycle Theatre). His television work includes: Bodyguard, Doctors.

John Pfumojena is from Zimbabwe. Theatre credits include: No One Is An Island (Tangle International); Twelfth Night (Shakespeare's Globe); Bent, Peter Pan (National Theatre); I Am Thomas (National Theatre of Scotland); Beasty Baby (Polka Theatre); Now You See Me (Immediate Theatre); Dream (Ignite Africa Festival); Riots (Chickenshed Theatre); Water, Bread and Salt, Dream Nation, Workshop Negative (Tangle International).

Zara Rasti (Little Amal) has been modeling and acting in short films since the age of two. She has covered national magazines and has been featured in numerous print ads throughout the world. The Jungle marks her theatrical debut and she is extremely proud to be a part of the cast. Zara is a Bay Area native currently in second grade and her favorite subjects include math and music.

Rachel Redford is from Wales. Theatre credits include: The Crucible (Manchester Royal Exchange); Luna Gale (Hampstead Theatre); Closer (Donmar Warehouse); A Ghost From A Perfect Place (Arcola); Adler & Gibb (Royal Court); Not The Worst Place (Sherman Theatre/Theatr Clwyd); Parallel Lines (Chapter Arts Centre); A Family Affair (Sherman Theatre); The Acid Test, Blue Stockings, King Lear (RADA). Her film credits include: Testament Of Youth, The Riot Club and Nights.

Ibrahim Renno was born in Amman, Jordan. After high school, he traveled around the Middle East, Europe, and UAE, where he attended the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. Along with participating in various acting and writing studies, he was cast to play roles in many independent short films, TV shows, and theatre productions in the Middle East. After gathering ample international experience, Renno immigrated to the U.S. with nothing but the dream to express himself freely as an artist. In the U.S., Renno recurs as Khalid Sheik Mohammed in Hulu's series The Looming Tower, and on Amazon's Sneaky Pete. He has guest starred on TV shows The Blacklist, Broad City, and Agents of Babylon. Renno garnered supporting roles in feature films Sicario: The Day Of The Soldado, Wildcat, and The Rhythm Section.

Dominic Rowan is from Britain. Theatre credits include: A Woman Of No Importance, Stepping Out (Vaudeville Theatre); Winter Solstice (Orange Tree Theatre); Giving (Hampstead Theatre); The Tempest, Measure For Measure, Henry VIII, A New World, As You Like It (The Globe); The Cherry Orchard (Young Vic); Medea, Happy Now?, Dream Play, Iphigenia At Aulis, Mourning Becomes Electra, Three Sisters, The Talking Cure, Private Lives (National Theatre); A Doll's House (Young Vic/Duke of York's Theatre/BAM New York); The Village Bike, Way To Heaven, Forty Winks (Royal Court).

Rachid Sabitri Theatre credits include: The Jungle (St Ann's Warehouse NYC, West End, Young Vic); Aladdin (West End); I Call My Brothers (Arcola and Off Broadway); Twelfth Night (Westport Country Playhouse, Northampton Theatre Royal); Romeo and Juliet- The Musical (West End); A Nice Indian Boy, Rafta Rafta (Old Globe Theatre, San Diego); Rafta Rafta (National Theatre); A Beautiful Thing (York Theatre Royal); The Tale of the Allergists Wife (La Marida Playhouse, Los Angeles); Bloodtide (Pilot theatre company) and Beyond Midnight (Trestle Theatre). Television includes: Homeland, Criminal Minds, Madam Secretary, The Odds, Generation Kill, Dr. Who, The Walk, Wannabes, Family Business, Blue Murder, The Bill, Casualty. Radio includes: Silver Street, Together.

Mohamed Sarrar is a musician from Sudan. He has been in the UK for two years. His theatre credits include: The Welcoming Party (Theatre Rights International Festival, Manchester), Encampment (Southbank Centre), Hope Shows (Good Chance Calais). As part of the theatre ensemble Psyche Delight, Mohamed has toured internationally performing the show Borderline at The Cockpit, Brighton Fringe Festival, the Migration Museum in London, Migrants Matter in Sheffield, Platforma Arts in Newcastle and Stockton, Freedom of Movement Festival in Berlin, Action Moon Star in Black Forest Germany and Bridewell Theatre in London, The 10th International Theatre Festival of Kerala in India, Denmark Theatre Festival and Pleasance Theatre, London.

Milan Tajmiri is a musician from Iran. The Jungle is his professional acting debut.

Bisserat Tseggai is a proud Eritrean and is grateful to be contributing to the telling of this important story. Recent/past credits include Seven Seconds (Netflix); Law and Order SVU (NBC); Luke Cage (Netflix); Orange is the New Black (Netflix); and more. Special thanks to her parents, Letensie and Tseggai Isaac, her family, and friends. Awet N'hafash!

Ben Turner is British Iranian. Theatre credits include: Soldier's Fortune (Young Vic); The Kite Runner, As You Like It (Wyndham's/UK tour);The Iliad (Royal Lyceum); Maiden Voices From The Uprising (Royal Court); Richard II, Caligula (Donmar Warehouse); Awake And Sing (Almeida); Measure For Measure/Habeus Corpus (UK Tour); The Merchant Of Venice (RSC world tour). His film work includes: Six Days, 300: Rise Of An Empire, The Fifth Estate, Adulthood, Syriana. His television work has included: The Coroner, WPC 56, Death In Paradise, Casualty, The Bill, Dr. Who, Love Soup.

Nahel Tzegai is from Eritrea. Theatre credits include: How It Ended (Bush Theatre); Ring (BAC); The Ship's Name (Royal Court); You Are Currently The Highest Bidder, Block 9, Virtually Real (Roundhouse).

Tim Wright Theatre credits include: Broadway: The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time, The Bridges of Madison County. Off-Broadway: 3 Kinds of Exile (Atlantic). National Tour: The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pioneer. Film: Ned Kelly, My Man is a Loser. TV: New Amsterdam, Quantico, Blue Bloods, SMASH, Do No Harm, A Gifted Man.

Khaled Zahabi Training: Met Film School (London), New York Film Academy (New York), American Academy for Dramatic Arts (Los Angeles), and Marwa Gabriel (Egypt). Film includes: Welad Rizk and Al-asleen.

To post a comment, you must register and login.