Dónal Finn, Suranne Jones and Tanya Reynolds Join AN OAK TREE at The Other Palace

Dónal Finn, Suranne Jones and Tanya Reynolds are announced as part of the lineup for Tim Crouch's An Oak Tree at The Other Palace from 7 October – 15 November 2026, produced by Francesca Moody Productions (FMP).

A different guest artist will join Tim Crouch for each performance with actors already announced including Hammed Animashaun, Bessie Carter, Rosalie Craig, Sacha Dhawan, Sean Gilder, Brian Gleeson, George Fouracres, Sophie Melville, Tom Mothersdale, Clare Perkins, Juliet Stevenson, Rhashan Stone, Gemma Whelan, Olivia Williams, and Ria Zmitrowicz.

Today, Francesca Moody Productions (FMP) has announced further casting for An Oak Tree, the mind-bending theatrical event, running at The Other Palace from 7 October – 15 November. A play that shaped the theatre landscape, its groundbreaking premise sees a different guest artist join Tim Crouch for every performance, stepping on stage without ever having read or rehearsed the play. Tickets on sale now from theotherpalace.co.uk/an-oak-tree

Dónal Finn (Young Sherlock, Amazon Prime; The Other Bennet Sister, BBC) will perform on 1 November, Suranne Jones (Vigil and Doctor Foster, BBC) will perform on 15 November, and Tanya Reynolds (Ted Lasso, Apple and 1536 Almeida/West End) will perform on 24 October (evening).

They join the previously announced cast which 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, Globe Theatre) on 10 November, Sean Gilder (Bad Apples; Dear England, National Theatre) on 20 October, Brian Gleeson (Bad Sisters, Apple; The Brightening Air, Old Vic Theatre) on 30 October, Sophie Melville (Clarkston, Trafalgar Theatre; Iphigenia in Splott, Lyric Hammersmith) on 25 October, Tom Mothersdale (A Doll's House, Almeida; Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, BBC) on 14 October, Clare Perkins (Romeo & Juliet, Harold Pinter Theatre; Player Kings, Noël Coward Theatre) on 13 October, Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply; The Doctor, Almeida Theatre, West End and New York) on 18 October, Rhashan Stone (Hollington Drive; Ghosts, Lyric Hammersmith) on 11 October, Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, HBO; The Tower, ITV) on 15 October, Olivia Williams (The Crown, Netflix; One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Old Vic Theatre) on 10 October and Ria Zmitrowicz (The Doctor, The Almeida; Ilford Boy, Donmar Warehouse) on 8 November.

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 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. Every performance in the season will have 20 tickets available at £20.

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.

This autumn, FMP also produces Hannah Reilly's ferocious one-woman comedy-turned-psychological-thriller ROLEPLAY, co-produced with Global Creatures. Following a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run, it transfers to Soho Theatre from 22 October–21 November. The show follows a struggling feminist podcaster who reinvents herself as a provocative 'slutfluencer' in pursuit of fame, exploring sex, power, feminism, online identity and the commodification of attention. FMP's venue Shedinburgh, celebrating the best of the Edinburgh Fringe, also comes to London for the first time in the Young Vic's Maria Studio. Shedinburgh presents a curated programme of theatre, comedy, music, a mix of old and new with cult hits alongside world premieres - running until 10 October.

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, USA and beyond, Garry Starr continues to push the boundaries of theatrical comedy with his fearless blend of clowning, improvisation and spectacularly ill-advised ambition. Currently playing Off-Broadway at Studio Seaview (until 4 October) – bringing his trademark brand of joyful chaos to the other side 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, Darkling) 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.