Photos: CRANFORD in Rehearsal at Orange Tree Theatre

The Orange Tree Theatre has released all new rehearsal photos from Cranford by Lin Coghlan and Shaun McKenna, based on the original novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, co-created and directed by Josh Roche. Check out the photos below!

The cast is led by Tamsin Greig (Matty Jenkyns), with Sara Crowe (Mrs Forester), Abigail Cruttenden (Deborah Jenkyns/ Lady Glenmire), Saffron Dey (Martha/ Young Matty), Alexandra Gilbreath (Miss Pole), Jonny Glynn (Older Peter/ Signor Brunoni/ Mr Johnson/ Rev Jenkyns/ Mulliner), Michael Lumsden (Tom Holbrook/ Dr Hoggins/ Dobson), Robert Merriam (Jem Hearn/ Young Peter), Sara Powell (Mrs Jamieson), and Phoebe Pryce (Eliza Cleghorn).

Cranford will open on 13 November, with previews from 3 November 2026, and runs until 16 January 2027.

Welcome to Cranford: a small town where gossip travels fast and traditions run deep. But in the 1840s, change is coming – whether anyone likes it or not.

Tamsin Greig leads an ensemble cast as Matty Jenkyns, who lives at the centre of a close-knit community of formidable women. Their lives are governed by a web of peculiar customs and unspoken rules. But as the outside world rushes in, the residents of Cranford must navigate troubled friendships, lost love, and the challenge of holding on to what matters most.

Elizabeth Gaskell's 1853 novel celebrates the complexities of everyday life with humour, heart, and extraordinary insight. It stands alongside her North and South and Wives and Daughters as a masterpiece of Victorian fiction. Director Josh Roche reunites with writers Lin Coghlan and Shaun McKenna following their 'masterpiece' adaptation of The Forsyte Saga at the RSC.

Photo Credit: Johan Persson