Cast announced for TALKING GODS digital festival in April

Casting has been announced for Talking Gods, a digital season of five reimagined Greek myths by Arrows & Traps, playing from 5-9 April.

Starring in a tale of sisterhood and the first play in the series, Persephone, will be Nicolle Smartt (Good Omens and Doctor Who, BBC); Christopher Neels (Bazaar, Arcola) and Charlie Ryall (The Biograph Girl, Finborough Theatre; NewsRevue, Canal Café) will appear in Orpheus, which delves into control and toxicity; Richard Baker (The Pirates of Penzance, Palace Theatre; Secret  Garden, Ambassadors Theatre; Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre) and Gabrielle Nellis Pain (The Strange Case of Jekyll & Hyde, UK tour; You & I, York Theatre Royal) will lend their voices to Pygmalion, which will see Edward Spence (The Frontline, Curve Theatre; Equus, Attenborough Arts Centre) star in this intriguing tale, which looks at the role of artificial intelligence in an ever-more isolating world. 

Exploring gender identity and acceptance, Aphrodite will feature Buck Braithwaite (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Phoenix Theatre) and Benjamin Garrison (The Elder Brother and Every Man Out of his Humour, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse); and finally Adam Elliott (Anna Karenina and Othello, Arrows & Traps) and Lucy Ioannou (Chaplin: Birth of a Tramp and Gentleman Jack, Arrows & Traps) will appear in Icarus.

These moving reworkings of classic Greek tales will examine vital contemporary issues, some of  which have become heightened during the pandemic. One play will premiere every night, followed by a live Q&A on Zoom. The pieces will then remain online for free.

Artistic Director Ross McGregor said: “After almost an entire year since Arrows & Traps last performed on stage, it gives me great pleasure to be able to announce our Talking Gods cast. We've assembled an exceptional group of talented performers for the season, and working with them on these pieces continues to be a delight. As the artistic director of a repertory company, I'm so pleased that we are drawing from our current core contingent of actors, as well as welcoming back some members from previous seasons, and introducing you to some new faces. We were honoured to receive so many thousands of applications from all over the UK, Europe and USA, the interest in this project was overwhelming. We look forward to releasing the final pieces, as a testament and showcase of all the hard work that this incredible group of people are putting into the Talking Gods online season.”

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