Storme Toolis to play title role in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

For the first time in the play's West End history, a disabled actor has been cast to play the disabled role of Joe Egg in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg.

Storme Toolis, known for her roles in New Tricks and The Inbetweeners Movie, makes her West End debut opposite Toby Stephens (Oslo), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), Patricia Hodge (Miranda, Downton Abbey), Clarence Smith (The Firm), Lucy Eaton (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Athena Stevens (Redefining Juliet), Harry Attwell (Maleficent) and Rebecca Hands-Wicks (Monkey Bars).

When Peter Nichols wrote the ground-breaking play in 1967, it was inspired by his own personal experience of bringing up his disabled daughter. A story about family, the story shines a light on parents' caring for their child, affectionately nicknamed Joe Egg.

Toolis said: "I definitely feel that as a disabled actor there are interesting familiar relationships in this play, but I don't draw a lot on my own experiences. Everybody is different, so my job is to portray Joe's story. I'm interested in understanding how a family in an era that is not 2019 would deal with having a disabled child and whether what they would go through and what we go through now would be kind of similar.

"I was really interested in the attitudes that were so prevalent towards disabilities in the 1960's, but the play touches on so many other things, not just disability. It's about how you put one foot in front of the other every single day, whatever your Joe Egg might be. Everybody has something that makes their life a little bit more difficult and it's about what you use to help you get through that point."

Directed by Simon Evans, the production is designed by Olivier Award-winner Peter McKintosh, with lighting by Prema Mehta and sound and composition by Ed Lewis.

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg runs from 21 September until 30 November at Trafalgar Studios – tickets are available now.