Cast: Lily Cole in Royal Exchange's Last Days of Troy

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre has announced that Lily Cole is to star in The Last Days of Troy – a reworking of Homer’s The Iliad.

She will play Helen Of Troy in this new play by poet and author Simon Armitage. The production runs from 8 May to 7 June. Her film credits include The Imaginarium of Doctor Panassus, Passages and There Be Dragons.

This new version of The Iliad is the story of two countries moving towards war – how conflict starts in a petty way and then escalates at a great cost to human life. Told through the eyes of Achilles, this culminates in the legendary tale of the Trojan Horse.

The production is directed by Nick Bagnall, whose recent work includes directing three Henry VI plays at Shakespeare’s Globe and at venues across the UK, including four open-air battlefield performances. His other work includes Betrayal (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield) and Entertaining Mr Sloane (Trafalgar Studios).

Simon Armitage is one of Britain’s most famous and respected poets. He has published ten volumes of poetry and his most recent collections are Tyrannosarus Rex Versus the Corduroy Kid and Seeing Stars. Other work for the Royal Exchange includes Black Roses – The Killing of Sophie Lancaster.

The Last Days of Troy transfers to Shakespeare’s Globe from 10 June to 28 June. It will play in repertoire with Gareth Farr’s Britannia Waves the Rules. Lily Cole is not starring in both productions.