The fan-favourite Radio 4 show is headed for the stage
Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Bleak Expectations, penned by Mark Evans and directed by Caroline Leslie.
Rosie Basista (Eleanor Rising) will play Pippa Bin, Colm Gleeson (This Be The Verse) will play Thomas Bin / Bakewell Havertwitch / Broadly Fecund, JJ Henry (Rapunzel ) will play Harry Biscuit / Mr Parsimonious and Dom Hodson (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) will play Pip Bin.
Simon Kane (The Buskers Opera) will play Gently Benevolent, Alicia McKenzie (Small Island) will play Agnes Bin / Flora Dies-Early, Nicholas Murchie (Trial by Laughter ) will play Sir Philip Bin, Caitlin Scott (2021 graduate, professional debut) will play Poppy Bin / Ripely Fecund and Dan Tetsell (Lab Rats) will play The Hardthrashers.
The farcical comedy is billed as "the story that Charles Dickens might have written after drinking too much gin", and follows half-orphan Pip Bin.
The production also features lighting by Andrew Exeter, sound by Yvonne Gilbert, assistant direction and fight direction by Joseph Reed, movement direction by Heriberto Montalban and composition by Tom Pigott-Smith. The Stage Management team consists of Natalia Kheldouni (DSM), Alastair Day (ASM), Alice Reddick (ASM Placement) with audio description by Charles Wiltshire.
It premieres at the treasured Watermill Theatre in Newbury, with running dates from 27 May to 2 July.