NEWS: Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre announce their cast for Northern premiere of 'The Exonerated'

Hope Mill Theatre announce exciting cast for northern premiere of death row drama, The Exonerated

Actors will appear on stage, and in filmed footage, in the

true crime documentary-inspired production

Runs Thursday 6 to Sunday 16 June 2019

On sale now

An exciting cast of experienced stage and screen performers – who will appear both in person and in integrated filmed footage - has been announced for the forthcoming northern premiere of The Exonerated at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.

Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s play The Exonerated, directed by Hope Mill Artistic Director and co-founder Joseph Houston, has been reimagined in the style of a television true crime documentary and will run from Thursday 6 to Sunday 16 June 2019.

The production will blend live theatre and filmed footage to create a unique, fully integrated multimedia experience with staging inspired by true crime documentaries currently popular on television streaming services.

Casting for The Exonerated has now been announced, with rehearsals underway. Cast members will either appear live on stage at Hope Mill Theatre, or in integrated filmed footage.

The on-stage cast features Charles Angiama (One Man, Two Guvnors – Torch Theatre, My Week With Marilyn), Ben Boskovic (The Secret Garden – Barn Theatre, Paper Hearts: A High Street Musical – Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Rebecca Eastham (Not Dead Enough – UK Tour, Hollyoaks), Richard Galloway (The Trials of Oscar Wilde – Lyric Theatre, Entertaining Mr Sloane – The Plays The Thing) and Jason Lamar Ricketts (Hamlet- Royal Exchange Theatre, A Taste of Honey – Epstein Theatre). Appearing on film is Gary Fannin (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 24: Live Another Day), Eva Fontaine (Emilia – Young Vic, Doctors – BBC), Lucy Greenaway (The Witches, Dundee Rep Theatre), Jack Kristiansen (Macbeth – Brighton Shakespeare Company, Romeo & Juliet – Oslo Shakespeare Company), Kevin Mathurin (The Shawshank Redemption – UK Tour, Justice League), Pippa Winslow (Strangers on a Train – Gielgud Theatre, Buried Child – Trafalgar Studios) and Law X (S.W.A.T. – CBS, To Tell The Truth - ABC).

Taken from interviews, letters, transcripts, case files and the public record, The Exonerated tells true stories of six wrongfully-convicted survivors of death row in their own words.

Moving between first-person monologues, courtrooms and prisons; six interwoven stories paint a picture of an American criminal justice system gone horribly wrong - and of six brave souls who persevered to survive it.

Artistic Director Joseph Houston, said: “I am so thrilled with the amazingly diverse cast we have found for The Exonerated. Many of our filmed actors have incredible experience and I know they will really capture the documentary style filming as well as make these heart-wrenching stories very real.

“We have also assembled an exciting group of actors who will play live in the production and multi-role many different characters to help bring these stories to life.

“I can’t wait to get started and to share The Exonerated with our audiences.”

The Exonerated premiered Off Broadway in 2002 (where it won a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award), was made in to a 2005 film starring Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover, and then a production ran at the Riverside Studios in London in 2006.

The Exonerated is written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, directed by Joseph Houston, filmography by Grant Archer, lighting design by Aaron Dootson, sound design by Elliya Evans and casting by Jane Deitch. Produced by William Whelton for Hope Mill Theatre.

It is Hope Mill Theatre’s second in-house play directed by Houston, following a highly successful run of David Auburn’s Proof in 2018.

The Exonerated runs at Hope Mill Theatre from Thursday 6 June to Sunday 16 June 2019. Press Night is Sunday 9^th June. Tickets, from £10, available from www.hopemilltheatre.co.uk