Troupe, the production company behind the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of The Forsyte Saga, today announces the full casting for the world premiere of Simon Reade’s new stage adaptation of Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky by Patrick Hamilton.
London, 1929. In the seedy Midnight Bell pub, barman Bob dreams of becoming a writer, while barmaid Ella dreams of being with Bob. When Bob becomes obsessed with alluring prostitute Jenny Maple, he fritters his life’s savings on trying to rescue her. But there is more to the intriguing Jenny than meets the eye…
Adapted from the classic novel by Patrick Hamilton, famed author of Gaslight, Rope and Hangover Square, Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky is an epic tale of three lonely Londoners looking for connection in the sprawling streets of the metropolis. Both darkly humorous and devastating, it is a love letter to 1920s Jazz Age London in all its grimy glory. An acclaimed television adaptation was broadcast on BBC Four in 2005, starring Sally Hawkins.
This world premiere of Simon Reade’s sharp new stage play adaptation is directed by Off West End Award winner Matthew Iliffe (Bacon) and features an ensemble cast in a stylish period production, from the producer of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap and John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 and 2 (RSC/ Park Theatre).
Michael Maloney (Ernest Eccles), Alex Bhat (George Perry) and Lucy Gray (Prunella/Landlady/Waitress) join the previously announced Yanexi Enriquez (Jenny Maple), Rosalind Lailey (Ella Dawson) and Jordan Scowen (Bob). Based on Hamilton’s classic novel set in late 1920s London, the play follows the lives of three lonely Londoners and their desire for connection and mutual obsession.
Troupe’sAshley Cook, said: “I’m delighted to bring these actors together to explore the dynamics between these classic characters from Patrick Hamilton’s great London trilogy; and I look forward to audiences seeing how Matthew Iliffe translates this to the stage at Southwark Playhouse Borough.”
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD, 10 September – 17 October 2026.
Booking and full details: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/twenty-thousand-streets/
