York Theatre Royal, English Touring Theatre (ETT) and An Tobar and Mull Theatre have announced the full cast and creative team for The Last Picture, a brand-new play by Catherine Dyson.
Directed by John R. Wilkinson, the play offers a thought-provoking exploration of empathy, imagination and collective memory, told from the perspective of an emotional support dog named Sam.
Actor and storyteller Robin Simpson will take on the role of Sam as he guides a group of school children through an exhibit focusing on Europe in 1939. York audiences will recognise Robin from his much-loved pantomime performances. His recent credits include Footloose, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Sense & Sensibility (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Gaslight and Men of the World (Devonshire Park Theatre), and Guy Fawkes (York Theatre Royal).
The creative team includes Natasha Jenkins (Designer), Benny Goodman (Lighting Designer), Max Pappenheim (Sound Designer) and Alexia Kalogiannidis (Movement Director).
The Last Picture opens at York Theatre Royal on 6 February 2026, with a preview on 5 February, and runs until 14 February before touring to HOME Manchester, Bristol Old Vic and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. The play was one of the winning scripts in the RSC’s 37 Plays competition in 2023.
Robin Simpson said: “I am delighted to be back at York Theatre Royal, this time in the Studio theatre and in a very different kind of production. When I first read Catherine’s extraordinary script I was blown away by how moving and thoughtful it was. The character of Sam is so unique and I am really looking forward to the challenge of the role and going out on tour to venues across the country.”
Catherine Dyson said: “It’s so wonderful to work with John and the creative team on the play and to be putting it in front of an audience with the very talented Robin Simpson as our Sam. Seeing your work turned into reality on stage is such a joy and I can’t wait for audiences to experience the show.”
Director John R. Wilkinson added: “The Last Picture will offer audiences a profoundly human and immersive journey and we have an incredible team on board to bring the play to life. Robin has a wonderful versatility as a performer – York audiences already know and love him as our warm and funny panto dame – and I am so excited to see what he does with the role of Sam. So much of the show relies on the audience’s imagination and how Sam gets us to experience that together and Robin for me, is the perfect actor to take us on that journey. I can’t wait for rehearsals to start!”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
