Casting has been announced for the London debut of Yeast Nation, which runs at the Southwark Playhouse from 22 July-27 August.

Combining four seasoned performers with four recent graduates, West End favourite Christopher Howell (42nd Street, Wicked) heads up the cast as the oldest being in the universe, Jan the Eldest; with Mari McGinlay (Hairspray) as Jan the Sly; Shane Convery (Anyone Can Whistle, Southwark Playhouse) as Jan the Wise; and James Gulliford (Salad Days) as Jan the Wretched.

Stephen Lewis-Johnston, Hannah Nuttall and Sarah Slimani will make their professional debuts in the show, joined by Marisa Harris who also graduated recently but can currently be seen in Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] at Park Theatre.

Yeast Nation is a musical comedy, written and composed as a second part of a trilogy along with Urinetown by Tony and Obie award-winning writers Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann. This debut London production is directed by Benji Sperring.

A black comedy set in the brine of the primordial soup over 3 and a half billion years ago. The original colony of Yeast, led by Jan the Elder, is a monarchy in peril, with a starving population and a dictatorial leadership in fear. Jan the Second Eldest, Jan the Elder’s son, knows that their colony cannot continue indefinitely with waning resources. Unfortunately, Jan the Sly, Jan the Elder’s daughter and second in line to the throne, has ideas of her own to take control of the nation to further her own ends. As The Yeast’s drama plays out, however, they find they are up against a foe much bigger than themselves: Love.

Director Benji Sperring said: “Now more than ever it is the duty of producers and directors to look after the future of the industry, making commitments to hire graduates who have had the most remarkable struggle over the last two years, and are now finding their feet in an incredibly changed, shifted landscape of creativity. What better way to empower young graduates than by making them dress as yeast and calling them all Jan.”    

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.