Jamael Westman and Tom Moutchi Join WOLVES ON ROAD at the Bush Theatre

Bush Theatre has announced that Tom Moutchi and Jamael Westman will appear as guest actors in the world premiere of Wolves On Road, a fast, funny, and furious new play from Beru Tessema (House of Ife), directed by Bush Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director, Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch, August in England). 

Each guest actor will appear for two weeks in the role of Devlin, Jamael Westman (9 - 23 November) and Tom Moutchi (9 - 21 December). Additional casting to be announced for 25 November - 7 December. 

Wolves on Road opens at Bush Theatre on 9 November (press night 14 November) in a co-production with Tamasha.

Manny dreams of being a big dog - but right now he’s hocking fake designer goods, living with his mum, and dealing with her new boyfriend. The glittery skyscrapers of Canary Wharf he sees out the window every day have never seemed so far.

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But when his best friend offers him a way to make money faster than he could ever imagine, he pulls his whole family into a world that’s almost too good to be true.

Wolves on Road is a thrilling deep-dive into the mysterious world of crypto-currency, revealing how ambition and hope can be exploited, no matter the system at play.

Director Daniel Bailey said, ‘I feel doubly blessed.  Not only do I get to direct Beru’s brilliant script with a fantastic company of actors at the Bush, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to work with three of the most exciting actors in the UK. Tom and Jamael will bring very different qualities to the role of Devlin and I can’t wait for them to join rehearsals and for us and audiences to discover more.’

Beru Tessema is an Ethiopian-British writer and director based in London. He is a graduate of the London Film School and RADA, making work for both stage and screen. Beru’s stage play, Exile in North Weezy, was shortlisted for the Papatango Playwriting Prize 2020 and his last play, House of Ife, premiered at Bush Theatre to critical acclaim. Beru’s short film Lions, made with the support of CNC and BFI NETWORK was recently awarded the UniFrance Grand Prix for Best International Short Film at Cannes, it also competed at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2023 and was nominated for a BIFA. Beru has written Letting Go, a drama for Channel 4 to be broadcast later this year for BlackLight and he is now developing a TV series with them called First Love. Beru was part of BBC Drama Writersroom 2020-21 and is an Oxbelly Episodic Program Fellow 2023.

Daniel Bailey is a director, dramaturg, and writer for stage and screen. He is Associate Artistic Director at the Bush Theatre having joined the team in 2019 alongside Artistic Director Lynette Linton. Prior roles include Associate Director at Birmingham Rep Theatre (after initially joining as part of the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme), Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio, Associate Artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Resident Assistant Director at The Finborough Theatre, and on the Young Vic’s directing programme.

His directing work at the Bush Theatre includes Lenny Henry’s August in England (co-directed with Lynette Linton), Red Pitch by Tyrell Williams (Stage Debut Award Winner 2022), which transferred to the West End this year, and Temi Wilkey’s The High Table(Stage Debut Award winner 2020). I Wonder If (presented with YV Taking Part) had a run at the Young Vic Theatre in late 2022 before going on a community tour and Daniel was the Creative Associate on the UK Premiere of Bootycandy at Gate Theatre.

Alma Eno plays Fevan. Alma trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.  Her theatre credits include Black Women Dating White Men (Drayton Arms Theatre), Take the Train (Myriad Immersive and Pathway Theatre), The Glass Will Shatter (Omnibus Theatre), Small Island (National Theatre), Champ (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Jessica(Sheer Height Theatre Company), and Marvel (Project Arts Centre Dublin Ireland).  Her television and film credits include Rose, Collision, Boogie Woogie, The Hound’s Curse, Control Room, Road to Recovery, Intimacy RCA, and the World Shakespeare Festival. 

Tom Moutchi plays Devlin at selected performances. His theatre appearances include Barbershop Chronicles (Roundhouse) and Twiststorm (Park Theatre).  On television he has appeared in Criminal Record, Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, PRU, Mood, Temple, andFamalam.  On film, Tom has appeared in Gladiator 2, Festival Of Slaps, The Hustle, and Warrior.

Hassan Najib plays Abdul.  Hassan is currently filming the new Blade Runner 2009series for Amazon and will next be seen in a leading role in Somali filmmaker K'naan's first feature film Mother, Mother premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival. Hassan was recently seen in Dune: Part Two and as the lead in the new feature film Diamond Sky. He has a regular role in the international Sky drama Unwanted.

Ery Nzaramba plays Markos.  His theatre credits include Tempest Project, Why?, The Prisoner, Battlefield, The Suit (world tours, directed by Peter Brook); Our Lady of Kibeho(nominated for an Olivier, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Royal & Derngate); Othellomacbeth (Lyric Hammersmith and Home Theatre); Split/Mixed (world tour); The Epic Adventure of Nhamo (Kiln Theatre); Blood Wedding, The Bacchae (Royal & Derngate); As You Like It (Curve Theatre). On film, his credits include The Gates of Vanity. Ery is also a writer and director, twice awarded a grant by the Arts Council, whose work includes Motherland (radio play for The National Archives), Split/Mixed(theatre: Royal Exchange, Soho and festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Hong Kong, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Clermont-Ferrand), Knocking on Heaven’s Door (a short screened at festivals in Cannes, Dallas, and Boston).

Kieran Taylor-Ford plays Manny.  He was born and raised in Camden and is an alumnus of both LAMDA and The Brit School. Kieran’s credits include For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Garrick Theatre), 3.2.1(National Theatre), Human Nurture (UK Tour), Holy Sh*t (Riverside Studio’s) and Yerma(Lyric Hammersmith).

Jamael Westman who plays Devlin at selected performances, was born in London, He attended RADA before quickly landing the titular role in the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award Nomination and the Evening Standard Theatre Award’s Emerging Talent Honour. Since then, he has appeared in London Tide (National Theatre), Imposter 22 (Royal Court), Torn (Royal Court), Patriots (Almeida), The Lorax (Old Vic), and The White Devil(Globe). His TV credits include Get Millie Black, The Essex Serpent, Anne Boleyn, and BBW.  His film credits include Hedda, Good Grief, Munch, and Animals.

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