The cast has been announced for the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s latest play, The Trial of Romeo Oscar, which runs in Scarborough from 4 September to 3 October 2026.
Joining the company are Elizabeth Boag, Frances Marshall, Richard Stacey, Leigh Symonds, Russell Richardson, Hayden Wood and Olivia Woolhouse.
Directed by Ayckbourn himself, the new courtroom drama is set in the year 2194, a future where humanity is spread across the solar system and life on Earth has been radically transformed.
At the centre of the story is Romeo Oscar, a military issue android accused of murder. As the first non-human to stand trial in a court of law, the case sparks fierce debate, with conflicting evidence and growing difficulties in selecting an impartial jury.
The play explores enduring questions about identity and consciousness, asking what it truly means to be human.
Alan Ayckbourn said: “When you reach my age, you really only have the choice as a writer of either looking back or moving forward. At the moment, I’m sort of swinging between past and future with each play. But where we’re going, particularly with AI, is always interesting. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Look at Shakespeare, he went into complete fantasy and was none the worse for that!”
The creative team includes designer Kevin Jenkins, lighting designer Mark ‘Tigger’ Johnson, Associate Sound Designer Ernest Acquah, Wardrobe Supervisor Julia Perry-Mook and Casting Director Sarah Hughes CDG.
Following its Scarborough run, The Trial of Romeo Oscar will tour to the Victoria Wood Theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere from 13 to 17 October and the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme from 21 to 31 October.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
