Cast announced For Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? At Oxford Playhouse: Preview

Following the announcement of its return to in-house producing after 20 years, Oxford Playhouse is delighted to share the full cast and creative team for its upcoming production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The celebrated regional venue makes a bold return to in-house producing with this stylistically inventive main stage production directed by its Artistic Director, Mike Tweddle, running from Friday 20 February to Saturday 7 March 2026. The production stars award-winning actor and RSC Associate Artist Katy Stephens (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, And Then There Were None, Titus Andronicus), who plays Martha for the first time in her career, opposite Matthew Pidgeon as George, the disillusioned associate professor of history. Pidgeon’s extensive stage career includes Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Wolf Hall. Martha, the daughter of the college president where George teaches, invites a young couple, Honey and Nick, back to their home after a faculty party, unwittingly drawing them into a night of psychological games, secrets, and emotional unravelling. Honey is played by Leah Haile (The Winter’s Tale,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), with Nick portrayed by Ben Hall (The Day of the Jackal, Henry VI: Rebellion / Wars of the Roses). This staging of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? reflects Oxford Playhouse’s revitalised vision and return to an Artistic Director-led model after over a decade. The theatre is committed to producing and presenting world-class and ambitious work relevant to its audiences in the heart of Oxford. The first Oxford Playhouse production directed by Mike Tweddle, this revival celebrates the play’s return to the theatre’s stage after 25 years. Set in a fictional New England academic town, Albee’s searing drama finds a resonant home in Oxford. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is an extraordinary piece of writing: strange, visceral, darkly funny and emotionally devastating. Staging it in Oxford feels uniquely powerful as it’s a story rooted in the tensions and power games of an academic town. This production launches a renewed era for Oxford Playhouse, as we begin producing work that is both artistically daring and deeply connected to our community. The play is a storytelling rollercoaster, showcasing everything that great theatre can offer, and I couldn't wish for a more talented group of actors to bring it to life.” The set and costumes will be designed by award-winning designer Liz Ascroft, whose career spans over 40 years and includes credits The Homecoming and Only Fools and Horses: The Musical. Lighting Design is by Ashley Bale and Will Hayman, and the Sound Designer and Composer is Max Pappenheim. Speaking about the creative approach, Mike Tweddle said: “Albee grew up around vaudeville through his grandfather, and the play is laced with those rhythms, games, theatricality, heightened moments of absurdity. Our design will capture a feeling of time and place without being completely archaeological about it. We want our audiences to feel both the constructed nature of the world and the raw, heartbreaking humanity at its core.” First staged in 1962, Albee’s masterwork remains a scorching exploration of marriage, ambition, illusion, and truth. This production coincides with the 60th anniversary of the celebrated film adaptation starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, whose connection to Oxford Playhouse includes their appearance in the 1966 Oxford University Dramatic Society production of Doctor Faustus, directed by Nevill Coghill. Tickets for Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Oxford Playhouse start at £15. To book, visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com

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