Mercury Theatre Announces Full Cast For SIRENS

Mercury Theatre today announces full cast for Sirens by award-winning playwright Kenny Emson, which launches the Mercury Originals programme showcasing ground-breaking new plays by local writers. Bethany Pitts directs Jesse Akele (Isla), Simon Darwen (Rory) and Tanya-Loretta Dee (Gemma). The production opens on 2 November, with previews from 28 October, and runs until 6 November.

Completing the creative team is Zoe Hurwitz (Co-Designer) Cara Evans (Co-Designer) Kathrine Sandys (Lighting Designer) and Frazer Merrick (Sound Designer).

Rory and Gemma break in to the Mersea Island RNLI station on Halloween in 1987. He wants to run away to London. She wants him to notice that she's not drinking. Over the course of the next thirty-four years the consequences of that night will tear their lives apart. This haunting new play explores themes of belonging, family ties and forgiveness.

Kenny Emson is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Previous winner of the Mercury Theatre Playwriting Prize, his credits for the company include Plastic (also Old Red Lion). His other credits include Rust and Terrorism (Bush Theatre). He has also received the Adopt a Playwright Award and the Adrienne Benham Award. His screenwriter credits include The Last Hours of Laura K - BAFTA nomination for Digital Creativity, and The Coming of Mr Quin. He has also written on Doctors and EastEnders.

Jesse Akele plays Isla. Her theatre credits include Under Water Love (Futures Theatre Company), The Unnatural Tragedy (The White Bear) and There Are No Beginnings (Leeds Playhouse).

Simon Darwen plays Rory. His theatre credits include Beginning (Queen's Theatre Hornchurch/Theatre Royal Bath/National Theatre), Missing People (Leeds Playhouse/National Theatre Tokyo), Skellig (Nottingham Playhouse), The Pitmen Painters (New Vic), The Here and This and Now (Plymouth Drum/Southwark Playhouse), Our Country's Good (Out of Joint), Lizzie Siddal (Arcola), Mad About The Boy (Young Vic/Bush Theatre), Sour Lips (Oval House), The Fifth Column, The Taming of the Shrew and What The Women Did (Southwark Playhouse), Love, Love, Love (original cast for Plaines Plough), Arse, Shove (Theatre503), Mad Forest and The Wonder (BAC), The Merchant of Venice, The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream (RSC), Fanny and Faggot (Trafalgar Studios) and Nikolina and Bedtime for Bastards (Nabokov). His television credits include Years and Years, Britannia, and The Bletchley Circle.

Tanya-Loretta Dee plays Gemma. Her recent theatre credits include One Life Stand (MiddleChild Theatre), Boots (Bunker Theatre), and One for the Road (Frinton Repertory Theatre). Her television credits include Breathe and Whitstable Pearl.

Bethany Pitts directs. As a director her credits include Juniper and Jules (Soho Theatre/Vault Festival), 3 Billion Seconds (Vault Festival/North Wall/Wilton's Music Hall), Fuck You Pay Me (Vault Festival/Assembly Edinburgh/Bunker), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Gynecologic Oncology Unit (Finborough Theatre), This Here and This and Now (Drum Theatre Plymouth/Southwark Playhouse) and Free Fall (Pleasance Theatre).

Made possible with the support of SELEP Ltd as part of Catalyst For Culture in partnership with Marlowe Theatre.