Eva Pope to Star in Crucible's A TASTE OF HONEY; Philip McGinley to Star in Studio's STRAIGHT - Full Casts Announced!

Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Daniel Evans today announces the full cast for the forthcoming productions of Shelagh Delaney's seminal work A Taste of Honey in the Crucible Theatre and the world premiére of DC Moore's Straight in the Studio Theatre.

The cast of A Taste of Honey will be led by Eva Pope who plays Helen. Eva will be familiar to audiences from Coronation Street and as former Head teacher Rachel Tyson in Waterloo Road. Eva is joined by Christopher Hancock as Geoff, David Judge (Hollyoaks) as Jimmy, Andrew Knott as Peter and Katie West as young rebel Jo. The world premiére of Straight sees Philip McGinley return to Sheffield Theatres to play Waldorf following his performance as Will Mossop in Hobson's Choice last year, opposite Henry Pettigrew (Beautiful Burnout, Black Watch) as Lewis, Jenny Rainsford as Steph and Sheffield-born actress Jessica Ransom as Morgan.

Tickets for A Taste of Honey and Straight are on sale to the public now and can be booked by calling Sheffield Theatres' Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

Crucible

A Taste of Honey
By Shelagh Delaney
Thursday 25 October – Saturday 17 November
Press night Monday 29 October 7.00pm

Jo is 16 and fearless. Her boyfriend's at sea, her mother's gone AWOL and her due date is just around the corner. The only person she can rely on is herself. But with Geoff, her new flatmate, by her side, this feisty teenager is about to take on the world.
Set in 1950s Manchester and exploring Britain on the precipice of change, A Taste of Honey celebrates the spirit of one young girl with the strength to rebel against the social constraints of her time.

A seminal first play by the late Shelagh Delaney. This brand new production, the first since the writer's death last year, features a live jazz band on stage and is directed by Polly Findlay (Antigone, National Theatre).

Shelagh Delaney (1938-2011) was an English playwright and screenwriter. Her other plays include The Lion in Love. As a screenwriter, her works include The White Bus, Charlie Bubbles, Dance With a Stranger, Three Days in August, The Railway Station Man, Tell Me a Film and Country Life. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1995.

Studio

A Sheffield Theatres Production in association with the Bush Theatre
World premiére
Straight
By DC Moore
Based on the motion picture Humpday, written & directed by Lynn Shelton
Thursday 1 – Saturday 24 November
Press Night Tuesday 6 November 7.45pm

When is your best friend not your best friend?

Waldorf and Lewis are typical, regular guys. However, on one fateful night out, they make a bet that will take their friendship to a whole new level.

Directed by Associate Director of Sheffield Theatres Richard Wilson, with design from James Cotterill (The Pride/That Face), this is the world premiére of Straight, a razor sharp comedy by award-winning writer DC Moore.

You'll never look at your best friend in the same way again.

DC Moore was on the Royal Court Young Writers' Programme 2004/5 and also was the 2011 Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Court. His plays include Alaska (Royal Court), The Empire (Royal Court and Drum Theatre, Plymouth – TMA Award for Best Touring Production), Honest (Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Edinburgh Festival), Town (Royal & Derngate, Northampton) and The Swan (as part of Double Feature - National Theatre, Paintframe). For television, his credits include Home for Channel 4/Touchpaper's 2011 Coming Up scheme. He is currently writing an original 3 part serial called Jalalabad (Channel 4/Great Meadow Productions) and the first episode for a potential 6 part series called Cut (Clerkenwell Films). He is also part of the writing team that's headed up by Jack Thorne, for a new 13 part series called Glue (E4/Eleven Films).

Joining the Creative Team alongside Richard Wilson and James Cotterill is Lighting Designer Johanna Town and Composer Michael Bruce.

Straight is being supported by local law firm, Hill Dickinson, who are funding new writing and projects at Sheffield Theatres over the next three years.