Full casting announced for European premiere of BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO
The Young Vic Theatre today announces Patrick Gibson, Sofia Asir and Sayyid Aki will join David Threlfall, Arinzé Kene, Ammar Haj Ammad and Hala Omran in the European premiere of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Rajiv Joseph’s (Guards at the Taj) high-octane, surreal dark comedy, directed by Omar Elerian (Rhinoceros), runs in the Main House from 2 December 2025 to 31 January 2026.
Patrick Gibson, best known as the young Dexter Morgan in the Paramount+ series Dexter: Original Sin and recently seen on stage in Clyde’s at Donmar Warehouse, will play the American Marine Tom. Sofia Asir (two Palestinians go dogging, A Land without Jasmine) will play Hadia/Iraqi Teenager and Sayyid Aki (Community, Rule Britannia) will play Uday/Iraqi Man. They join the previously announced Olivier and BAFTA award-winner David Threlfall (Hangmen, Shameless) as the Tiger, Olivier Award-nominee Arinzé Kene (Misty, Death of A Salesman) as American Marine Kev, Ammar Haj Ahmad (The Jungle, Macbeth) as Musa, and Hala Omran (I Medea, Mute) as Iraqi Woman/Leper.
When an atheist suddenly finds himself walking around after death, he has got some serious re-evaluating to do. Iraq, well into the new millennium. A fast-talking Tiger haunts the streets, plagued by a fundamental question: “Why am I here?”. And he’s not the only one. US forces have long since toppled Saddam Hussein, yet Baghdad remains aflame. In the chaos, the lives of American Marines Tom and Kev collide with Iraqi translator Musa after their chance encounters with the Tiger. Iraqi or American, man or beast, they are all searching for meaning, revenge, forgiveness, and a solid gold toilet seat that’s worth a fortune.
Following its premiere on Broadway in 2011, the play received multiple Tony nominations and recognition as a Pulitzer Prize finalist. This new production is brought to life with Designer Rajha Shakiry, Lighting Designer Jackie Shemesh, Sound Designer Elena Peña, Movement Director Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, Casting Director Heather Basten CDG, Dialect Coach Khaled Abunaama, Voice and Dialect Coach Hazel Holder, Costume Supervisor Male Arcucci, Props Supervisor Kate Margretts, Jerwood Assistant Director Layla Madanat, and Associate Designer Yimei Zhao.
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo is the third production in Nadia Fall’s inaugural season as Artistic Director of the Young Vic following Joe Orton’s cult classic Entertaining Mr Sloane (until 8 Nov) and the hit Edinburgh Fringe show Ohio (until 24 Oct). Upcoming productions also include mixed reality installation Museum of Austerity (5 Dec – 16 Jan 2026), Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass (21 Feb – 18 Apr), Alexander Zeldin’s CARE (11 May – 11 Jul) and the world premiere of Sting by Sophie Swithinbank (18 Jun – 18 Jul).
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