Cast announced for Pericles, The Prince of Lebanon, based on the Shakespeare play

Casting has been revealed for Pericles, Prince of Lebanon, a new play by Sami Ibrahim, inspired by Shakespeare’s Pericles.

Directed by ETT artistic director Richard Twyman, the production will open at Bristol Old Vic from 25 February to 20 March 2027, before transferring to Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg from 14 to 16 April 2027. The press performance in Bristol is on 3 March.

Set across modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Libya, Ibrahim’s version explores displacement, migration and family separation through the story of Pericles and his daughter. The adaptation combines Shakespeare’s original verse with contemporary dialogue, following their journeys across borders and asking what happens to relationships when people no longer share the same language.

The cast is led by Amer Hlehel (The Voice of Hind Rajab, Taha) as Pericles, Sayyid Aki (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Slow Horses) as Cleon, Laura Hanna (Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Otherland) as Thaisa, and Osloob, a founding member of Palestinian hip-hop group Katibeh 5, as on-stage musician and vocalist.

The company also includes Raad Rawi (Kyoto, The Taxidermist’s Daughter) as Father and Lysimachus, Sarah Seggari (Anna Karenina, Casualty) as Dionyza, and Miltos Yerolemou (Game of Thrones, The Crown) as Antiochus, Simonides and Leonine.

Ibrahim said: “I’m so excited to bring Pericles to the stage with ETT and particularly with Richard as director. We’ve been wrestling with the text for years and it’s been a thrilling challenge to mix the original Shakespeare with modern dialogue and a modern story, tracking the journeys of people fleeing across continents. It’s a play about migration and the way families are both torn apart and reunited over decades. I’m aware of how personal a piece it is for both me and Richard so to work on the play together is a privilege and I know it’s in very safe hands. Of course, Pericles also features colossal shipwrecks and wrong turns so it’s only fitting that the piece should travel across countries to be performed. I can’t wait to share it with audiences.”

The creative team includes set and costume designer Ana Inés Jabares-Pita, lighting designer Simisola Majekodunmi, sound designer Donato Wharton, composer Osloob, movement director Maher Abdul Moaty, casting director Jacob Sparrow and associate director Ashton Laffineur.

The production is co-produced by ETT, Bristol Old Vic and Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, in association with MMXX.