Dame Judi Dench, Catherine Tate, Timothy West and Mark Gatiss are among an incredible list of acting stars that will be part of the Donmar Warehouse’s ground-breaking production of The Vote.
The quintet are joined by a host of star names from stage and television in James Graham’s polling station-set play that will be broadcast live on More4 during the last 90 minutes of voting on election day, the exact time and date at which it is set.
An icon of the British stage, Dench is joined by her daughter Finty Williams in the show, while Gatiss is reunited with his Coriolanus co-star Hadley Fraser. Fraser’s City Of Angels colleagues Rosalie Craig and Kadiff Kirwan also return to the Donmar for the production that reunites Gatiss with his The Recruiting Officer associate, Nicholas Burns.
In other webs of casting intrigue, there are Donmar returns for Henry IV cast members Jade Anouka and Jackie Clune, and for Privacy collaborators Paul Chahidi and Nina Sosanya.
The cast also includes Cucumber star Fisayo Akinade, former Evita Madalena Alberto, Outlander’s Bill Paterson, Prasanna Puwanarajah, who is currently performing the in the National Theatre’s Dara, Heather Craney, Llewella Gideon, Alice Hewkin, Pandora Colin, Aïcha Kossoko, Wanda Opalinska and Yusra Warsama.
Somewhat unbelievably, this is just initial casting for The Vote, so we can expect more exciting performers to be announced.
Speaking about the project, director Josie Rourke said: “This is a unique opportunity for the Donmar to make a small theatre feel very big. Some of the nation’s greatest actors are coming together this election night to give theatre a seat at the table of a national event. Everyone involved is approaching this experiment with a sense of adventure. To work with a playwright and company of this calibre and significance on such a bold project is a dream come true.”
Graham’s play, which will have a limited run at the Donmar immediately before the General Election (24 April to 6 May) explores the wonderful blend of import and mundanity, excitement and humdrum that happens when the nation turns out to vote.