FULL CASTING FOR THE PHLEBOTOMIST ANNOUNCED

Ella Road’s debut play, The Phlebotomist transfers to Hampstead Theatre’s Main Stage, following a sold out run Downstairs in 2018, with Jade Anouka and Rory Fleck Byrne reprising their roles as Bea and Aaron. They will be joined by Kiza Deen playing Char, Mark Lambert playing David, Claudia Cadette playing Phlebotomist/Citizen/Ensemble and Edward Wolstenholme as Phlebotomist/Gambler/Ensemble. 

Bea meets Aaron. He’s intelligent, handsome, makes her laugh and, most importantly, has a high rating on his genetic profile. What’s not to like? Char has two degrees and is on the brink of landing her dream job but her rating threatens it all... In a ratist world where health, wealth and happiness depend on a single blood test - dictating everything from bank loans to dating prospects – phlebotomy reigns supreme. So how far will people go to beat the system? Ella Road’s debut play is a powerfully provocative vision of a dystopian future, questioning the value we place on one another, whether knowledge really is power, and if love truly can conquer all.

The Phlebotomist has been announced as a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2019.

Ella Road is a writer and actor from London. The Phlebotomist is her first play. It ran at Hampstead Downstairs in the spring of 2018 and is a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2019. She is currently writing new commissions for Hampstead Theatre, The Almeida and Theatre Royal Plymouth, and is one of the Bush Theatre’s 'Emerging Writers’ of 2018/19. She is also developing a number of projects for Television and Film, including an adaption of The Phlebotomist as well as an original series with Drama Republic for Channel 4. Her film writing work includes The Wyrd and the latest Stand Up to Cancer video campaign for RSA Films. Her work for radio includes Road to Oxford for Radio 4, and the upcoming adaptation of The Phlebotomist for Radio 3. As an actor, Ella also works across theatre, screen and radio. She is cofounder of the new writing company Flux Theatre, which aims to champion new voices in the arts, create socially engaging work and build a supportive network of theatre-makers.

Sam Yates makes his Hampstead Theatre Main Stage directorial debut, having directed The Phlebotomist Downstairs last year. His theatre credits include Incantata (Galway International Arts Festival); Glengarry Glen Ross starring Christian Slater (Playhouse/UK tour); Murder Ballad (Arts Theatre); Cymbeline (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse/Shakespeare’s Globe – Ian Charleson Award commendation); East Is East (West End/UK tours); The El. Train starring Ruth Wilson (Hoxton Hall); Outside Mullingar (Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal, Bath); Billy Liar (Manchester Royal Exchange); Cornelius (Finborough/59E59 Theatres, New York - nominated for four Off West End Theatre Awards) and Mixed Marriage (Finborough). Film work includes The Hope Rooms (winner of the Rhode Island International Film Festival 2016 Grand Prize Filmmaker of the Future Award); Cymbeline, All’s Well That Ends Well and Love’s Labour’s Lost (The Complete Walk, Shakespeare’s Globe) and music videos, Emeralds and Auld Wives for the Ivor Novello Award-nominated band Bear’s Den (Communion Music). 

Jade Anouka plays Bea. Her theatre work includes Queen Margaret (Royal Exchange); The Phlebotomist (Hampstead Downstairs); Cover My Tracks (The Old Vic); Shakespeare Trilogy (Donmar at King’s Cross); Doctor Faustus (West End); Julius Caesar, Henry IV and The Tempest (all Donmar/St. Ann’s Warehouse, NY); So Here We Are (Royal Exchange/Hightide); Chef (Soho Theatre); The Vote (Donmar); Omeros (Sam Wanamaker); Clean (Traverse/59E59, NY); Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet (both Shakespeare’s Globe); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (National Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Bolton Octagon); Wild Horses (Theatre503); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare’s Globe/US tour); Blood Wedding (Southwark Playhouse); Twelfth Night (York Theatre Royal); The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice (both RSC); The Penelopiad (RSC/NAC, Canada) and Handa’s Surprise (Little Angel Theatre). Film work includes Fisherman's Friends, The Rhythm Section, Baby Gravy, A Running Jump and The Dark Channel. Television work includes Cleaning Up, Turn Up Charlie, Trauma, Chewing Gum, Lucky Man, The Vote, Shakespeare Uncovered, Doctor Who, Secrets and Words and Law & Order: UK.

Rory Fleck Byrne plays Aaron. His theatre work includes Anna Karenina (Abbey, Dublin); Vortex (Gate, Dublin); King Charles III (Wyndham's); That Face (Landor Theatre); The Lion in Winter (Haymarket); Disco Pigs (Young Vic); Cause Celebre (Old Vic) and Antony and Cleopatra (Liverpool Playhouse). Film work includes Love Lies Bleeding; Vita and Virginia; The Foreigner; Tiger Raid; Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters and The Quiet Ones. Television work includes Spides; Ghosts; Death in Paradise; Harlots; To Walk Invisible; Jack Taylor; Midsomer Murders; Damo and Ivor and Grantchester.

Claudia Cadette trained in Performing Arts at Italia Conti Academy. Theatre work includes Desire Under the Elms (Sheffield Crucible); Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (Novello); Miss Saigon, 25th Anniversary Gala (Prince Edward); Showboat (Albert Hall); Millenium Mysteries (Coventry Cathedral/Belgrade); Into the Woods (Leicester Haymarket); Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Perth Theatre); Rent (Shaftesbury - original cast); The Big Life (Apollo/Theatre Royal, Stratford East); Slavery (Tara Arts/UK tour); The Darker Face of the Earth; Candide and Troilus and Cressida (all National Theatre); Bakerfix (Frankfurt); Sweet Lorraine (UK tour); Little Shops of Horrors (Derby Playhouse);The Cotton Club (Aldwych); Moby Dick (Old Fire Station) and Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane – original cast). Television work includes Coronation Street; Holby City; Family Affairs and Gimme Gimme Gimme.

Kiza Deen plays Char. Her theatre work includes Random (Leeds Playhouse); Br'er Cotton (Theatre503); Expensive Sh*t (Soho); Trouble In Mind (Theatre Royal, Bath); Hamlet; As You Like It and All’s Well That Ends Well (all RSC) and Yard Gal (RADA Festival). Television work includes Silent Witness and Hollyoaks.

Mark Lambert plays David. His theatre work includes The Ferryman (Gielgud/Jacob’s Theatre, New York); Dancing at Lughnasa (Garrick); Juno and the Paycock (Dublin/UK tour - Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actor); Molly Sweeney; The Three Sisters; Art; A Month in the Country; Aristocrats; The Spirit of Annie Ross; Romeo and Juliet and The Importance of Being Earnest (all Gate theatre); The Memory of Water (Vaudeville); All’s Well That Ends Well (Gielgud for RSC); Festen and Our Country’s Good (both Royal Court); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Young Vic); Ariel; The Gili Concert; Twelfth Night; Barbaric Comedies (Irish Times Theatre Awards Nomination); Heartbreak House; and She Stoops to Conquer (all Abbey Theatre, Dublin). Film work includes Veronica Guerin; A Prayer for the Dying; Evelyn; The Journey; The Tiger’s Tale; Breakfast on Pluto; Jude and Borstal Boy. Television work includes Women on the Verge; The Bailout; Rebellion; Roy (series regular); An Crisis; RAW (season 3 – series regular); Single Handed: Stolen Child; Cracker; Vanity Fair; The Tudors; Heartbeat; Inspector George Gently; Proof; Rosemary and Thyme; A Touch of Frost; Casualty; The Young Ones and Sharpe’s Regiment.

Edward Wolstenholme plays Phlebotomist/Gambler/Ensemble. Theatre work includes Common (National Theatre); The Passing of the Third Floor Back (Finborough Theatre); American Buffalo (Wyndham's); Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse); Disgraced (The English Theatre Frankfurt); Unidentified Item in the Bagging Area (Old Red Lion); How To Find Us (Soho); A Midsummer Night's Dream (National Theatre River Stage) and Othello (The North Wall Theatre). Film work includes Wonder Woman; Mr Jones; Dirt (short film); The Life of a Sober Man (short film) and Mute (short film). Television work includes Doctors.

The Phlebotomist runs on the Main Stage from 19 March - 20 April

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