The full cast and creative team have been revealed for the upcoming workshop production of Sappho: The Poetess, running at The Other Palace Studio from 29 October to 1 November 2025.
Hayley Canham stars as Sappho, joined by Katy Ellis (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) as Annie, Joanna Hickman (Ragtime) as Mother, and Damien James (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) as Phaon.
The creative team includes Hannah Hauer-King as director, with musical supervision and orchestration by Sam Young (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812), and musical direction by Tom Knowles (Hamlet Hail To The Thief).
Lighting design is by Ali Hunter (Three Little Pigs, Last Rites, If You Fall), sound design by Niamh Gaffney (Waiting For Godot, The Producers) for Autograph Sound, and movement direction by Laura Braid (Fiddler On The Roof).
A behind-the-scenes video featuring Hayley Canham and Sam Young from last week’s music workshop has been released and can be viewed here.
Sappho: The Poetess tells the untold story of Sappho — poetess, queer icon, and history’s first great songwriter. Torn from the woman she loves and forced into a marriage she never wanted, Sappho fights to reclaim her lost love, learning the heavy price the world demands of those who defy its rules.
Guitar in hand and lyrics sharp as flames, Sappho returns – part oracle, part rock star — in a musical memoir illuminating the eternal struggle and triumph of women who dare to love, to dream, and to create in defiance of the world.
Listings and ticket information can be found here







