Stranger Things star Linnea Berthelsen to lead world premiere tour of Darkling

Linnea Berthelsen, best known for her role in Stranger Things, will make her UK stage debut in the world premiere of Darkling by Titas Halder.

Directed by Matthew Xia, the solo play is presented by Actors Touring Company and co-produced with the Bush Theatre. It will embark on a short tour.

The play exposes the human impact of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster.

Halder explained: “When I wrote the piece, a human story about how an ecological disaster rips through one family, I could never have imagined that we would one day be making this play with such an extraordinary team, led by the brilliant Matthew Xia, and anchored by such a truly mesmeric actor as Linnea. I know she will bring a special and profound emotional depth to this solo play, a portrait of an entire life.”

Berthelsen added that the script “is incredibly nuanced, human and very alive,” saying “I’m thrilled to be working with this exceptional creative team.”

Meanwhile, Xia, who is artistic director of the Actors Touring Company, said: “It is a privilege to collaborate with Linnea, who will bring a magnetic intensity to the role. Titas has written an extraordinarily beautiful and poetic text, and working with a performer of Linnea’s calibre gives us the chance to make something epic, intimate and unmistakably theatrical.”

He added that Darkling “sits at the very core of ATC’s mission: to champion globally minded contemporary theatre and bring these vital narratives to audiences across the UK.”

Darkling opens at Bush Theatre on 5 September before touring to Birmingham Rep, Oxford’s The North Wall Arts Centre, and HOME, Manchester until 14 November 2026.

It is supported by Arts Council England, Cockayne Grants for the Arts, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation and the Wates Foundation. ATC is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.