Hammed Animashaun, Bessie Carter, Rosalie Craig & More Join AN OAK TREE at The Other Palace

Francesca Moody Productions (FMP) has announced initial casting for An Oak Tree, the mind-bending theatrical experiment, which will be at The Other Palace from 5 October – 15 November. The show will star Tim Crouch and a different second actor at each performance with tickets on sale now.

The casting includes Hammed Animashaun (SNL UK, Sky; Dealers Choice, Donmar Warehouse) on 29 October, Bessie Carter (Bridgerton, Netflix; Mrs. Warren’s Profession; Garrick Theatre) on 16 October, Rosalie Craig (Riot Women, BBC; Good Night, Oscar, Barbican) on 9 October, Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who, BBC and The Great, Hulu) on 23 October, George Fouracres (SNL UK, Sky; Hamlet, Shakespeare’s The Globe) on 10 November, Clare Perkins (Romeo & Juliet; Harold Pinter; Player Kings, Noël Coward Theatre) on 13 October, Tom Mothersdale (A Doll’s House, Almedia; Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, BBC) on 14 October, and Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, HBO; The Tower, ITV) on 15 October.

An Oak Tree is part of Francesca Moody Productions new season at The Other Palace, bringing together three extraordinary shows that began life at the Fringe before captivating audiences around the world. In addition to An Oak Tree, the season will feature the award-winning razor-sharp dark comedy of Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible is Going to Happen, and the international smash-hit Garry Starr: Classic Penguins. Each production celebrates original voices and pushes the boundaries of what live theatre can be. 

Having originated two of the most globally successful shows of the last decade: Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, Francesca Moody is one of the industry's most influential and award-winning producers, renowned for championing bold new voices and developing groundbreaking work that has gone on to achieve international acclaim. 

FMP at The Other Palace season:

An Oak Tree

7 October - 15 November 2026
Press Night: 7 October
Starring Tim Crouch and a different second actor at each performance

Since its world premiere in 2005, Tim Crouch's An Oak Tree has become one of the most influential and widely celebrated plays of the 21st century, performed hundreds of times in more than 19 countries while continually reinventing itself. A play that shaped the theatre landscape, its groundbreaking premise sees a different guest artist join Crouch for every performance, stepping on stage without ever having read or rehearsed the play. Over the past two decades, more than 350 performers have taken on this extraordinary theatrical challenge, creating a unique event every night and an audience experience like no other. 

The remarkable roll call of guest artists who have previously performed the play includes Frances McDormand, Geoffrey Rush, Peter Dinklage, Mike Myers, David Tennant, Jessie Buckley, Russell Tovey, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, Sophie Okonedo, Sharon D Clarke, Alanis Morissette, Toby Jones, Christopher Eccleston, Meera Syal, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Adjoa Andoh, Eddie Marsan, Nina Sosanya, Alfred Enoch, Arthur Darvill, Alex Lawther, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Luke Thompson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Michelle Terry, among many others. Constantly evolving while remaining unmistakably itself, An Oak Tree has become a landmark of contemporary theatre – an unforgettable exploration of grief, suggestion and the uniquely live experience of performance. Starring Tim Crouch and a different second actor at each performance

Garry Starr: Classic Penguins

22 October 2026 – 03 January 2027
Press Night: 23rd October

Internationally acclaimed, award-winning performer Garry Starr (created by Damien Warren-Smith) has become one of the most exhilarating and unpredictable forces in contemporary comedy, earning a devoted global following for his riotously physical, gloriously anarchic performances. In Classic Penguins, Garry Starr is hell-bent on saving books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic novel ever written, mostly naked (but with flippers). The comic wunderkind takes audiences on a literary adventure through the world’s most iconic works of fiction – from The Little Prince to Moby Dick and everything in between, nothing is safe from being lampooned with the utmost nincompoopery. 

Winning critical acclaim and playing to sold-out audiences across the UK, Australia and beyond, Garry Starr continues to push the boundaries of theatrical comedy with his fearless blend of clowning, improvisation and spectacularly ill-advised ambition. This summer, he returns with Classic Penguins to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Pleasance Grand 5-30 August) while also making his Off-Broadway debut at Studio Seaview (3 September - 4 October) – bringing his trademark brand of joyful chaos to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen

19 November 2026 – 10 January 2027
Press Night: 26th November.

“I’m 36, I’m a comedian, and I’m about to kill my boyfriend…”

Since its premiere in 2022, Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen has established itself as one of the stand-out, critically acclaimed new solo shows of recent years. Written by Marcelo Dos Santos (Backstairs Billy), directed by Matthew Xia (The Harder They Come, Tambo & Bones) and starring acclaimed stage and screen actor Steven Webb (The History Boys, The Book of Mormon, Shucked), the darkly funny, emotionally charged production premiered in Roundabout at Edinburgh Festival Fringe before transferring to London, earning multiple awards across the two runs. 

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