ETT (English Touring Theatre), Matthew Schmolle Productions and Stratford East have announced casting for the UK tour of Ahmed Masoud’s Application 39, a new play directed by Cressida Brown.
The world premiere production opens at Bristol Old Vic from 23 to 26 September 2026, with a press performance on 24 September, before touring to Newcastle, Ipswich, Manchester and London.
Written by Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud, Application 39 imagines a future Gaza that has unexpectedly secured the right to host the 2048 Olympic Games, exactly 100 years after the Nakba.
Described as a bold and sharply satirical drama, the play follows two young IT workers in Gaza who successfully hack the Olympic bid process as a prank. Their unexpected success sparks a journey through occupation, bureaucracy, absurdity and reconstruction, drawing on real-life testimonies, including voices from Gaza itself.
The cast is led by Nadia Dawber as Lamma, James El-Sharawy as Rayyan, Sama Rantisi as Selma and Ghantus Wael as President.
Dawber recently appeared in Majenin: A Palestinian Love Story at the Edinburgh Fringe, while El-Sharawy’s theatre credits include Around the World in 80 Days at the Barn Theatre. Rantisi is a Palestinian actress, writer and theatre-maker whose work explores identity and resistance, and Wael has previously appeared in productions including Much Ado About Nothing and The Siege.
The creative team includes Set and Costume Designer Charlotte Espiner, Lighting Designer Imogen Clarke, Sound Designer Ed Lewis and Composer Sami El-Anany.
Masoud is known for plays including The Shroud Maker, Camouflage, Passports and Mo Salah, Jinn and Other Complicated Things, as well as the novels Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda and Come What May.
Director Cressida Brown’s previous credits include The Political History of Smack and Crack, England & Son, Twelfth Night and Icarus, Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine.
Following its opening engagement at Bristol Old Vic, Application 39 tours to Northern Stage, New Wolsey, Factory International’s Aviva Studios and Stratford East, concluding its run in London on 14 October 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
