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Touching the Void on stage: theatre climbing to new heights

The cast and creative team explain why the thrilling memoir is coming to the stage

Alex Wood
Touching the Void learning the ropes with rock climbing
Touching the Void learning the ropes with rock climbing

Bristol Old Vic's artistic director Tom Morris and Edinburgh Lyceum's artistic director David Greig are collaborating on a brand new adaptation of Joe Simpson's epic memoir Touching the Void, and below they explain how they aim to translate the story to the stage.

Simpson's book, based on the true story of himself and his fellow climber Simon Yates stranded on the side of the Siula Grande Mountain, opens at Bristol Old Vic before transferring to Edinburgh's Lyceum, as well as a run at Royal and Derngate in Northampton.

Cast in the production are Josh Williams (One Night in Miami) and Edward Hayter (making his professional stage debut) as climbers Simpson and Yates. They are joined by Fiona Hampton (Much Ado About Nothing) and Patrick McNamee (Our Girl).

The show has design by Ti Green, lighting design by Chris Davey, composition and sound design by Jon Nicholls and movement direction by Sasha Milavic Davies.