News: Cast announced for Alan Ayckbourn’s latest play The Girl Next Door

Full casting has been announced for Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre’s first production of 2021, Alan Ayckbourn’s The Girl Next Door.

This play marks the dramatist’s 85th venture, and will also be directed by Ayckbourn. The production plays from 4 June to 3 July, with two rotating casts.

Most shows will feature Bill Champion, Linford Johnson, Alexandra Mathie and Naomi Petersen, with a second bubble cast comprising Georgia Burnell, Michael Hobbs, Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong, Eliza McClelland. This cast will also perform the show on a number of dates throughout the run.

In The Girl Next Door, Champion plays veteran actor Rob Hathaway, who is stuck at home during the summer of 2020 with only his sensible older sister for company.

Rob has little to do but relive his glory days when, as the star of the nation’s favourite TV period drama National Fire Service, he ruled the roost as George ‘Tiger’ Jennings: wartime hero, and living legend among firefighters.

Then one day Rob spots a stranger hanging out the washing in the adjoining garden. But the neighbours haven’t been around for months. So who is the mysterious girl next door? And why is she wearing 1940s clothing?

Written and directed by Alan Ayckbourn, assisted by Chelsey Gillard, The Girl Next Door is designed by Kevin Jenkins with lighting design by Jason Taylor. Casting is by Sarah Hughes CDG.

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