Complete cast for the return of Zadie Smith’s ”The Wife of Willesden” revealed

The full cast of The Wife of Willesden, which returns to the Kiln for a festive run, has been announced.

Zadie Smith’s piece, which received a glowing review from WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Crompton last year, is adapted from Chaucer and reimagines the world of The Wife of Bath by placing her tale in a Willesden boozer. The auditorium will again be transformed into a local London pub for the production.

Joining previously announced Clare Perkins, who will reprise her role as Alvita in the show, will be Marcus Adolphy (as Winston/Mandela/Black Jesus), George Eggay (as Pastor/Eldridge), Andrew Frame (as Ian/Socrates/Bartosz), Troy Glasgow (as Darren/Young Maroon), Claudia Grant (as Polly/Sophie), Nikita Johal (as Asma/Kelly), Scott Miller (as Ryan/Colin), Jessica Murrain (as Author/Zaire/Queen Nanny) and Ellen Thomas (as Aunty P/Old Wife).

Indhu Rubasingham will once again direct the production, which is designed by Robert Jones and lit by Guy Hoare, with composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, associate costume design by Kinnetia Isidore, movement direction by Imogen Knight, fight direction by Kev McCurdy, voice and dialect coaching by Hazel Holder and casting by Julia Horan CDG. The associate director is Hannah Hauer-King.

The Wife of Willesden runs at the north London venue from 14 December 2022 to 28 January 2023, before transferring to the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 25 February to 18 March.

Tickets for the Kiln run are on sale below.