First look images of rehearsals for the World Premiere production of Tim Price’s Isla

As the world première production of Kaite O’Reilly’s Missing Julie opens at Theatr Clwyd, Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford today announce the cast for the world première production of Tim Price’s Isla. In a co-production with the Royal Court Theatre, the production opens at Theatr Clwyd on October 21st with previews from the 16th October, and runs until 6th November. Tamara Harvey directs Mark Lambert as Roger, Lisa Zahra as Erin, and Catrin Aaron as PC Jones and the titular role of Isla.

Soon there will be more voice-activated, digital assistants than people. All are female gendered.

Roger needs company and he doesn’t want a dog. When his daughter Erin buys him the latest Isla digital assistant an unexpected relationship between man and technology emerges. But who’s really in control?

A new dark comedy from acclaimed writer Tim Price.

Tim Price is a Welsh playwright and screenwriter. His plays include For Once, Salt Root and Roe (winner of Best English Language playwright at the Theatre Critics of Wales Award), Demos, The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning (winner of the James Tait Black Prize for drama), I’m With the Band, Protest Song and Teh Internet Is Serious Business. He is associate playwright at the Traverse theatre and co-founder of Welsh new writing company Dirty Protest.

Catrin Aaron plays Isla. She is an Associate for Theatr Clwyd, where she is currently appearing in Missing Julie. Her other work for the company includes Orpheus Descending (also Menier Chocolate Factory), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, All My Sons, The Light of Heart, Aristocrats; Salt, Root and Roe; Humbug, God of Carnage, A Doll’s House, Roots, Taking Steps, Gaslight, Dancing at Lughnasa, A Small Family Business, Festen, Mary Stuart, Twilight Tales, Macbeth, A Toy Epic, Tales from Europe, The Timeless Myths of the Mabinogi, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, The Voyage, The Way It Was, Flights of Fancy, Hobson’s Choice, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Silas Marner. Her other theatre work includes The Wizard of Oz (Sheffield Theatres), As You Like, Hamlet (Shakespeare’s Globe), Henry V (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Forsythe Sisters (Gaggle Babble), Sex and the Three Day Week (Liverpool Playhouse) and What People Do and London: Let’s Get Visceral (Old Vic Tunnels). For television, her work includes The Indian Doctor, The Bastard Executioner and First Ladies; and for film, Apostle.

Mark Lambert plays Roger. For theatre his credits include The Ferryman (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Gielgud Theatre, Royal Court Theatre), The Phlebotomist (Hampstead Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest, Romeo and Juliet (Gate Theatre), Heartbreak House, The Dead (Abbey Theatre), Dubliners (Dublin Theatre Festival), Plaza Suite (Rough Magic), Those Sick and Indignant (Gaiety Theatre), 16 Possible Glimpses (Abbey Theatre), Brighton (Theatre Royal, Waterford), Big Ole Piece of Cake (Fishamble), The Gigli Concert (Druid Theatre), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Project Theatre), The Weir, Festen, The Spirit of Annie Ross (Gate Theatre), Enlightenment, Hamlet (Abbey Theatre), All’s Well That Ends Well (RSC), Ariel, Barbaric Comedies (Irish Times Award Nomination), The Memory of Water (Vaudeville Theatre),  Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Young Vic), Molly Sweeney (Almeida Theatre/Gate Theatre), Juno & the Paycock (Albery Theatre, Olivier Award Nomination). He was last seen on stage as Judge Turpin in Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn’s touring production of Sweeney Todd. For television his credits include 13 Steps Down, Hidden, The Bailout, Inspector George Gently and Agatha and the Curse of Ishta. For film his credits include Borstal Boy, Veronica Guerin, Breakfast on Pluto, and The Tiger’s Tail.

Lisa Zahra returns to Theatr Clwyd to play Erin. Her theatre credits for the company The Voyage which also toured to Warsaw International Theatre Festival. Further credits nclude include Before I Leave (National Theatre Wales), The Kite Runner (Nottingham Playhouse), Resurrection, Behind the Screens (Theatre Royal Bath), Love at First Light, Stairway to Heaven (Chapter Arts Theatre), A Child’s Christmas in Wales (Arcola Theatre), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Swansea Grand Theatre), Gut Girls (Sherman Theatre), and Warrior Square (Mercury Theatre Colchester). For television her credits include Skellig and Brecon Five Vodka.

Tamara Harvey has been Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd since August 2015. Most recently she has directed Curtain Up! with 30 actors performing 15 new plays by Welsh and Wales-based writers, the award-winning What A Carve Up! and The Picture of Dorian Gray (both online), Orpheus Descending (co-production with Menier Chocolate Factory), and the world premières of Pavilion by Emily White, and Home I’m Darling by Laura Wade – which was nominated for UK Theatre and Evening Standard Awards, as well as five Olivier Awards, winning the Olivier for Best New Comedy. Also for the company she has directed The Panto That Nearly Never Was!, Much Ado About Nothing, the première of Elinor Cook’s award-winning play, Pilgrims, Skylight by David Hare and the première of Peter Gill’s version of Uncle Vanya (Best Production, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director in the English Language at the Wales Theatre Awards). Before Theatr Clwyd, she was a freelance director for 15 years, working on classic plays, new writing, musical theatre and in film, in the West End, throughout the UK and internationally.

LISTING

THEATR EMLYN WILLIAMS

WORLD PREMIÈRE

Theatr Clwyd and Royal Court Theatre present ISLA By Tim Price

Directed by Tamara Harvey; Assistant Directors: Francesca Goodridge and Liv Stenström; Designed by: Camilla Clarke; Lighting Designer: Ryan Stafford; Sound Designer: Beth Duke

16th October – 6th November – https://www.theatrclwyd.com/event/isla