Casting Update For Young Vic's Productions Of JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN and WILD EAST

With the Young Vic's recent run of critical-success including The Convert currently running at Young Vic, The Inheritance at the Noël Coward Theatre and The Jungle now playing at St Ann's Warehouse in New York, Artistic Director of the Young Vic, Kwame Kwei-Armah, today announces the full cast for Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, directed by Kate Hewitt in the Main House, and April De Angelis' Wild East, directed by recipient of Genesis Future Directors Award, Lekan Lawal, in The Clare.

For Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, Kate Hewitt directs Oberon K. A. Adjepong (Lucius Jenkins), Matthew Douglas (D'Amico), Dervla Kirwan (Mary Jane Hanrahan), Ukweli Roach (Angel Cruz) and Joplin Sibtain (Valdez). The production previews from 14 February, with a Press Night on 20 February, and runs until 30 March.

For Wild East, Lekan Lawal directs Lucy Briers (Dr Pitt), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Dr Gray) and Zach Wyatt (Frank). The production opens on 6 February and runs until 16 February.

A limited number of tickets are also now on sale for The Jumper Factory by Luke Barnes. Originally conceived by the Young Vic Taking Part department and Justin Audibert, created in collaboration with inmates at HMP Wandsworth, as a parallel production to The Brothers Size in January 2018, The Jumper Factory explores the stories of people behind bars. The production returns to run alongside Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train which examines these experiences through the American justice system. Directed by Josh Parr, The Jumper Factory will be performed in The Maria from 27 February until 9 March, by young men who have all been directly or indirectly affected by the criminal justice system.

JESUS HOPPED THE 'A' TRAIN
By Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Kate Hewitt

Designer: Magda Willi; Costume Designer: Kinnetia Isidore

Lighting Designer: Guy Hoare; Sound Designer: Peter Rice; Movement Director: Imogen Knight

UK Casting Director: Julia Horan CDG; US Casting Director: Jim Carnahan CSA

Main House
14 February - 30 March 2019

From Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis (The Motherf*cker with the Hat), comes this critically-acclaimed dark comedy about the American justice system and the contradictory nature of faith.

Inside the lockdown wing of Rikers Island prison, a frightened young man accused of murdering a cult leader is confronted with a charismatic born-again serial killer and a sadistic guard. Will one man's redemption lead to another's damnation?

Stephen Adly Guirgis is a playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. As a playwright, his other credits include Our Lady Of 121st Street, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Little Flower of East Orange, The Motherf*cker with the Hat, and Between Riverside and Crazy, which won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His television writing credits include NYPD Blue and The Get Down.

Oberon K. A. Adjepong plays Lucius Jenkins. His theatre credits include Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre), The Winter's Tale, Measure For Measure, Pericles, Tamburlaine (TFANA), Homecoming Queen (Atlantic Theatre Company - AUDELCO nomination), Uncommon Sense (Tectonic Theater Project), Party People (The Public Theater), 12 Angry Men (The Billie Holiday Theatre), Like I Say, Cellophane (Flea Theatre), Mother Courage, The Blacks (The Classical Theater of Harlem/Classic Stage Company), Wabenzi (New Ohio Theatre), Hamlet Project (La MaMa), Sango (NBT - AUDELCO nomination). His television credits include Blacklist, The Knick and Louie; and for film, Crazy Famous and Crown Heights.

Matthew Douglas returns to the Young Vic to play D'Amico. His previous credits for the company include King Lear. Other theatre credits include An Inspector Calls (UK tour/Playhouse Theatre), Far from the Madding Crowd (The Watermill Theatre), The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd (The New Vic), Travesties, The Importance of Being Ernest (Birmingham Rep), Hay Fever (West Yorkshire Playhouse), She Stoops to Conquer (Birmingham Rep/Chichester Festival Theatre/UK tour), The Big House (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Salt Meets Wound (Theatre503), Hecuba (RSC/Albery Theatre) and Othello (international tour). His television credits include Miracle Landing on the Hudson; and for film, Papadopoulos and Sons.

Dervla Kirwan plays Mary Jane Hanrahan. Her theatre credits include King Lear, Frankie and Johnny, Uncle Vanya (Chichester Festival Theatre), Mr Foote's Other Leg (Hampstead Theatre, Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Weir (Donmar Warehouse and West End), Betrayal (Donmar Warehouse), Aristocrats (National Theatre) and Hush (Royal Court Theatre). Her television credits include White Dragon, The Silence, Material Girl, True Dare Kiss, 55 Degrees North, Hearts and Bones, Ballykissangel and Goodnight Sweetheart; and for film, Trautmann, Interlude in Prague, Luna, Entity, Ondine and Dangerous Parking.

Ukweli Roach plays Angel Cruz. His theatre credits include Nightfall (Bridge Theatre), 5,6,7,8 (rough cuts) (Royal Court Theatre), Romeo & Juliet and Helen (Globe Theatre). Television credits include Humans, Hard Sun, Blindspot (series 1 - 3), Dickensian, The Royals, Grantchester, Silk, Drifters, Starlings, Monroe and Eternal Law. Film credits include One Day, Streetdance 3D and Venus And The Son. Roach is Artistic Director of dance company Birdgang, touring with the Blaze international Hiphop dance show.

Joplin Sibtain plays Valdez. His theatre credits include The Beaux' Stratagem, Dara, An Oak Tree, Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Othello, The Wind in the Willows, The Absence of War (National Theatre), Godchild (Hampstead Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare's Globe), King Lear (Almeida Theatre), The King and I (Curve), An Enemy of the People (Sheffield Theatres), A Street Car Named Desire (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), The Crucible (Octagon Theatre Bolton), Indian Ink (Salisbury Playhouse), The Ark an The Covenant (Battersea Arts Centre), The Fall Guy, The Moonstone (Royal Exchange Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet (RSC). His television credits include Nightflyers, Safe, Hard Sun and No Offence; and for film, Honey in the Head and Naachle London.

Kate Hewitt directs. Her theatre credits for the company include as director Far Away (JMK Young Director Award, 2014) and as Associate Director, Yerma. Her other directing credits include Frost/Nixon, Tribes (Sheffield Theatres), The Ice Road (Raucous Theatre), Kiki's Delivery Service, Tomcat (Southwark Playhouse), Romeo & Juliet (Ambassador's Theatre) and Portrait (Edinburgh Festival/UK tour). As Associate Director her credits include, One Love: The Bob Marley Musical (Birmingham Rep), Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Drury Lane), Medea (Headlong Theatre Company) and Electra (Gate Theatre/Latitude Festival).

Oberon K.A. Adjepong is appearing with the permission of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes' Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Wild East
By April De Angelis
Directed by Lekan Lawal

Designer: Sarah Beaton; Lighting Designer: Amy Mae

Sound Designer: Harry Blake; Casting Director: Charlotte Sutton CDG

The Clare
6 - 16 February 2019

Recipient of Genesis Future Directors Award, Lekan Lawal, directs April De Angelis' surreal Wild East. This outlandish play artfully turns the most sterile of settings, a corporate job interview, into a sharp comedy about the permeation of human chaos.

April De Angelis' work includes The Village adapted from Lope De Vega's Fuenteovejuna (Theatre Royal Stratford East), My Brilliant Friend adapted from Elena Ferrante's novels (Rose Theatre Kingston), Rune (Old Vic Stoke), After Electra (Plymouth Theatre Royal and Tricycle Theatre), Jumpy (Royal Court and Duke of York's), Catch (a collaboration with four other female playwrights) and Wild East (Royal Court), A Gloriously Mucky Business (Lyric Hammersmith), Calais (Paines Plough/Oran Mor), Country (Terror Season, Southwark Playhouse), an adaptation of Wuthering Heights (Birmingham Rep Theatre), A Laughing Matter (Out of Joint Theatre Company, National Theatre), The Warwickshire Testimony (RSC, The Other Place), The Positive Hour (Out of Joint Theatre/National Tour) and Playhouse Creatures (Sphinx Theatre Company, later revived by The Old Vic Theatre).

Lucy Briers plays Dr Pitt. Her theatre work includes Forty Years On, The Seagull and Ivanov (Chichester Festival Theatre), Show Boat (Sheffield Theatres and New London Theatre), Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (RSC, Aldwych Theatre and Broadway), Top Girls (Out of Joint, Chichester Festival Theatre and Duke of York's Theatre) and Ivanov (Donmar West End). Her recent television work includes Gentleman Jack, Victoria, Mrs Wilson, Press, Father Brown, Count Arthur Strong, Our Girl, Dark Matter, The Thick of It, Twenty Twelve and Einstein and Paddington; for film, Genius, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and The Children of Men.

Kemi-Bo Jacobs plays Dr Gray. Her theatre credits include The Sweet Science of Bruising (Southwark Playhouse), Betrayal (Derby Theatre), Hedda Gabler (Salisbury Playhouse) and All My Sons (Royal Exchange Theatre). Her television credits include The Letter for the King, The Great, Cheat, McMafia, Delicious, Our Girl Thirteen, The Honourable Woman and Doctor Who; and for film, London Has Fallen.

Zach Wyatt plays Frank. He graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama this year. His theatre work includes I and You (Hampstead Theatre).

Lekan Lawal's directing credits include Betrayal (Derby Theatre), HyBrasil (The Old Vic), Stories to Tell in the Middle of the Night (Summerhall), Last Journey (Pentabus/Latitude), Capitalism in Crisis (Arcola Theatre). Associate/Assistant Director credits include Look Back in Anger, Jinny, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella (Derby Theatre), Measure for Measure (Young Vic), Politrix (The Big House) and The Merchant of Venice (Arcola Theatre). Lawal is currently an Artistic Director of Up Next at Battersea Arts Centre and an Associate Artist at the Hackney Showrooms.

The Jumper Factory
By Luke Barnes
Conceived by Young Vic Taking Part and Justin Audibert
Directed by Josh Parr

Sound Designer: Mike Winship; Lighting Designer: Jess Glaisher

Costume Designer: Catherine Kodicek

The Maria
27 February - 9 March 2019

Originally staged by prisoners to fellow inmates, Luke Barnes collaborated with HMP Wandsworth to create a new piece of theatre with eight inmates about how they survive a life behind bars.

This new production, performed in The Maria studio, is presented by a cast of young men aged from 18 - 25, whose lives have all been affected in some way by the criminal justice system.

Josh Parr directs Ayomide Adegun, Raphael Akuwudike, Jake Mills, Rushand Chambers, Pierre Moullier and Tej Obano.

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