Casting announced for climate change play at Orange Tree Theatre

Casting has been announced for a new play by Rose Lewenstein at the Orange Tree Theatre that explores the impact of climate change and consumerism.

Mike Noble and Charlotte Randle to star in Cougar at Orange Tree Theatre Mike Noble and Charlotte Randle will star in the world premiere of Cougar which runs at the London theatre from 1 February to 2 March 2019, with opening night on 5 February. It is a co-production with English Touring Theatre.

The play focuses on Leila and John who are conducting an affair against the backdrop of climate change. Leila wants to inspire global change. John needs to get his shit together.

Noble’s stage work includes The Almighty Sometimes at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, Bad Roads and Road at the Royal Court, Game at the Almeida, Port at the National Theatre, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the West End where he played the lead role of Christopher Boone. His TV appearances include playing Spencer Wilson in two series of Home Fires as well as recurring roles in Grantchester and Mr Selfridge.

As well as regular TV roles, Randle’s extensive stage career includes the award-winning Yerma at the Young Vic and in New York City, Plastic at Theatre Royal Bath, Medea at the Almeida, Deluge at Hampstead Theatre, Birdland at the Royal Court, The Lyons at Menier Chocolate Factory, Public Enemy at the Young Vic and The King’s Speech in the West End and on tour.

Cougar has an all-female creative team led by director Chelsea Walker, who returns to the Orange Tree after her production of Clare McIntyre’s Low Level Panic in 2017. She won the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award in 2017 for directing an acclaimed new touring production of A Streetcar Named Desire with English Touring Theatre, Nuffield Southampton Theatres and Theatr Clwyd. Other recent productions include Yous Two at Hampstead and P’Yongyang the Finborough.

She is joined by designer Rosanna Vize, who won an Off West End Award for best design, lighting designer Jess Bernberg, sound designer and composer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, movement director Shelley Maxwell and casting consultant Annelie Powell CDG.

Lewenstein’s previous plays include Darknet at Southwark Playhouse, Now This Is Not The End at Arcola Theatre, Game of Life at The Yard and Ain’t No Law Against Fish ‘n’ Chips as part of the Royal Court Young Writers Festival.

This is the Orange Tree’s third co-production with English Touring Theatre after Martin Crimp’s Dealing with Clair and Terence Rattigan’s French Without Tears.

This latest production was made possible thanks to donations to :Discover, match-funded by Arts Council England, which enables the Orange Tree to embark on an ambitious programme of activity that would not otherwise take place.

Cougar will be followed by Matthew Xia’s revival of Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, the world premiere of Zoe Cooper’s Out of Water directed by Guy Jones, and artistic director Paul Miller’s production of Terence Rattigan’s While the Sun Shines.

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