Full cast announced for ROAD at Royal Exchange Theatre
Full casting has been announced for ROAD, the opening production of the Royal Exchange’s 50th anniversary programme, which runs from 13 February-14 March 2026.
Directed by Artistic Director Selina Cartmell, this contemporary revival of ROAD marks the 40th anniversary of Jim Cartwright’s iconic play. For her first production for the Royal Exchange, Cartmell has gathered together an ensemble of extraordinary actors. Lesley Joseph (Young Frankenstein; Sister Act, West End) joins the previously announced Lucy Beaumont, Shobna Gulati, Johnny Vegas and Sir Tom Courtenay who will make a special appearance on film as Jerry.
The cast is completed by Jake Dunn (KES!, Octagon Theatre), Laura Elsworthy (The Taming of the Shrew, RSC), Liam Garrigan (Once Upon a Time, ABC), Dana Haqjoo (The Boy with Two Hearts, National Theatre/WMC), Kyle Rowe (Abigail’s Party, Royal Exchange), and Lucie Shorthouse (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sheffield Theatres/West End).
It’s 1986. Your rumbustious chaperone Scullery guides you down the road, picking up the raucous and the ready for it, as ‘owt can happen tonight’. From dusk till dawn, the hopelessly hilarious and divinely desperate laugh, sing, dance and eat chips – all searching for something different.
Jim Cartwright’s award-winning masterpiece invites you to join the inhabitants of this northern road on an unforgettable journey. Shockingly relevant to our lives today, the play’s visceral, eloquent poetry paints a tough world with tenderness. In this exhilarating theatrical experience, audiences explore the Royal Exchange before taking their seats in the theatre.
The creative team includes designer Leslie Travers, lighting designer Aideen Malone, sound designer Tingying Dong, and casting director Olivia Barr.