Hampstead Theatre's Describe the Night and The Phlebotomist casting announced

Hampstead Theatre has announced the casting for two of its upcoming shows.

The cast of the UK premiere of Rajiv Joseph's Describe the Night will be composed of David Birrell (The Shadow Factory), Ben Caplan (Sunny Afternoon), Siena Kelly (A Christmas Carol), Wendy Kweh (Julius Caesar), Joel MacCormack (The Oresteia), Rebecca O'Mara (Private Lives) and Steve John Shepherd (Much Ado About Nothing).

The piece, set across 90 years of Russian and Polish history, is directed by Theatre503's artistic director Lisa Spirling, with design by Polly Sullivan and lighting by Johanna Town. It opens on the Hampstead main stage on 9 May.

In the Hampstead Downstairs space, the cast has been announced for the world premiere of Ella Road's debut play The Phlebotomist, directed by Sam Yates (Glengarry Glen Ross).

Jade Anouka (The Shakespeare Trilogy), Vincent Ebrahim (Behind the Beautiful Forevers), Rory Fleck Byrne (King Charles III) and Cherrelle Skeete (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) will make up the cast of the piece, which imagines a future where blood tests are used to judge value.

Describe the Night runs from 9 May to 9 June with previews from 30 April. The Phlebotomist runs from 25 April to 19 May with previews from 12 April.