Cast: Hollyoaks' James Atherton in Royal Exchange Theatre's Crocodiles

Ng Choon Ping, the winner of the inaugural Royal Exchange Theatre Hodgkiss Award is directing a new piece of work by a writer of his choice.

This new award is the only scheme of its kind in the north that celebrates the unique collaboration between a writer and director. It offers a theatre maker of outstanding promise the chance to direct a new piece of work in a production fully supported by the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Described as 'a ferocious Northern fable', it unveils a world where strange things are normal, and normal things are very strange. In a sleepy seaside town, Cornelia Glass is busy spinning yarn. Witches are burning in the town centre. Crocodiles lurk in the shallows. Boys who go to the big city are skinned alive by tramps.

The cast includes James Atherton (best known for his TV role as Will Savage in Hollyoaks); Sarah Gordy (whose TV credits include playing Pamela Holland in two series of Upstairs Downstairs); Melanie Hill (whose recent TV work includes Waterloo Road and who is best known as Avaline in BBC comedy BREAD) and Kevin Wathen (whose recent theatre work includes a West End production of Billy Elliot and whose TV credits include Inspector George Gently).

The production is designed by Sarah Beaton and will feature video projections designed by Gillian Tan. The creative team is completed by Dominic Kennedy (lighting) and Matthew Haskins (sound).

Crocodiles runs from 1 – 18 October.