The Audience regional premiere casts Faye Castelow as the Queen

Initial casting has been announced for the upcoming regional premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience.

Faye Castelow, known for her appearances in The Rover and The White Devil at the RSC and Man and Superman at the National Theatre, will play Queen Elizabeth II in Morgan's hit play, which explores the relationship between the monarch and her Prime Ministers over the course of more than sixty years.

The production runs at Nuffield Southampton Theatres' NST City theatre and is directed by the venue's artistic director Samuel Hodges, with design by Rosanna Vize, sound design by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite and casting by Annelie Powell. Morgan's other work includes The Crown and the award-winning The Queen.

Hodges said: "At a moment of national uncertainty, the Queen is a uniquely reassuring figure. A constant who has transcended ages of change. Finding an actress who can embody her, from her first audience with Winston Churchill at the age of 25 to the Queen that we know today, is to find a rare quality. Faye Castelow has that quality."

Further casting for the show is to be announced. The piece runs from 24 May to 22 June.