Casting Announced For DICKENS UNCOVERED: A TALE OF TWO CITIES AND OLIVER TWIST At Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Bringing two of Charles Dickens's most popular stories out in the open as part of the 2017 season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Dickens Uncovered celebrates the greatest storyteller of London life.

Casting and completed creative teams have today been announced for A Tale of Two Cities (7 July - 5 August), a new play by Matthew Dunster adapted from the original novel, and Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over (17 July - 5 August) adapted by Anya Reiss especially for families.

"I am delighted that this group of 32 talented performers are coming together to reimagine these two iconic London stories. For those of us who read them alone at home, at school or on the tube, I hope we can reclaim them anew together in the Park. For those who only know them as titles, then let us take you on a trip back to the nineteenth century blockbusters, via 2017. This is Dickens uncovered for everyone." (Artistic Director, Timothy Sheader)

Director Timothy Sheader has assembled a company of 21 actors to re-tell Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities: Lydia Bradford, Sean Cernow, Claire-Louise Cordwell, Marième Diouf, Patrick Driver, Nabil Elouahabi, Lorna Gayle, Lewis Griffin, Nicholas Karimi, Nicholas Khan, Andrew Koji, Kevork Malikyan,

Francesca Mills, Jude Owusu, Tim Samuels with Aliya Ali, Evie Buxton, Mia Dalley, Foyinsola Ighodalo, Kaitlyn Kou, and Olivea Puci sharing the children's roles.

Developing their programme of work made especially for families, Caroline Byrne directs Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over in daytime performances alongside A Tale of Two Cities. A cast of 8 actors, Robyn Cara, Rina Fatania, Danny-Boy Hatchard, Michael Hodgson, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Shaun Mason and Angela Wynter play multiple roles, with Tia-Lana Chinapyel, Lewis Fernée and Jordan Nash alternating in the title role.

Design for both productions is by Fly Davis.

The completed creative teams also include, for A Tale of Two Cities: Liam Steel (Movement Direction), Lee Curran, who received an Olivier Award-nomination for Jesus Christ Superstar (Lighting Design) and Christopher Shutt (Sound Design). For Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over, the creative team includes Lucy Burge (Movement Direction), Joshua Anio Grigg (Sound Design) and

Joe Dieffenbacher (Physical Comedy Direction). Casting for both productions is by Polly Jerrold.

The 2017 Open Air Theatre season opens with On The Town, (19 May - 01 Jul) directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. The cast includes Danny Mac, Fred Haig, Samuel Edwards, Siena Kelly, Lizzy Connolly, Miriam-Teak Lee, Naoko Mori, Mark Heenehan, Rodney Earl Clarke and Maggie Steed.

Following A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over, the 2016 sell-out production of Jesus Christ Superstar returns (11 Aug - 23 Sep), directed by Timothy Sheader. The production won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, and features Declan Bennett (as Jesus), Evening Standard Award-winner Tyrone Huntley (as Judas), David Thaxton (as Pilate) and Peter Caulfield (as Herod).

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre was voted London Theatre of the Year in the Stage Awards 2017, and recently announced a collaboration with English National Opera for their 2018 season, with

Timothy Sheader directing Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw (22 - 30 Jun 2018).

For tickets and more information, visit openairtheatre.com.

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