Sheffield Theatres have announced casting for the world premiere of Living, a new play by award-winning Sheffield playwright Leo Butler.
The production will run at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse from Saturday 14 March to Saturday 4 April 2026 and is directed by Abigail Graham.
The cast includes Harki Bhambra as Rajesh, Michelle Bonnard as Jules, Samuel Creasey as Mike, Kenny Doughty as Brian, Andrew Macklin as Sean, Melina Sinadinou as Maya, Abby Vicky-Russell as Rebecca and Liz White as Kathy.
The eight-strong company will perform more than 30 roles, spanning a 55-year narrative.
Set in Sheffield, Living begins in 1969 as Kathy and Brian move into a large house on Burngreave Road, young, hopeful and with their lives ahead of them.
As decades pass, the play charts family life, politics and change, asking whether Kathy and Brian can hold their home together through sixty years of social upheaval.
Writer Leo Butler said: “Set in a family living room in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, where I grew up, LIVING spans five decades from the 1970s to now. It’s shaped by politics, humour and resilience, and it’s the most ambitious and personal play I’ve written. I’m delighted to be working with such a brilliant cast, director Abigail Graham, and the whole creative team at Sheffield Theatres to bring it home for Sheffield audiences.”
Director Abigail Graham said: “It’s a privilege to be directing the world premier of LIVING. Leo has written an often hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking love letter to community and female resilience. It’s the best new play I’ve read in years – it’s epic and intimate, it’s full of hope, and it offers audiences the sort of night out you can only have in a theatre.”
Sheffield Theatres Artistic Director Elizabeth Newman said: “LIVING feels like such an important play for us to be making at Sheffield Theatres this year. Leo Butler is an extraordinary Sheffield talent, and he has never had a play produced on our stages. It felt vital to include his work about his city in my first season as Artistic Director. I cannot wait for audiences to experience his writing and his collaboration with the mighty Abigail Graham. She is leading a brilliant creative team and the most wonderful company of actors are bringing Leo’s words to life.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
