Hampstead Theatre has announced the full cast for Dogstar, a new play by Daisy Hall that will receive its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs from 30 October to 5 December 2026.
Directed by Lucy Morrison, Dogstar is set aboard an icebound whaling ship where the crew are dropping like flies, mutiny is brewing and strange visions are spreading. The play is described as a darkly comic tale of survival, belief and the forces that shape our lives.
The cast includes Alex Austin as Gorey, Justin Edwards as Babben, and Abdul Jalloh as Sam. Jalloh recently graduated from RADA in 2026.
Hall returns to Hampstead Theatre following the sell-out success of her debut play Bellringers in 2024, which established her as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging playwrights.
Speaking about the new production, Hall said: “With Dogstar I was interested in writing a kind of fairytale, but one set in a very specific time and place. I am so excited to be returning to Hampstead Theatre and to be working with Lucy Morrison and such a brilliant cast and creative team.”
Producer and Chief Executive Greg Ripley-Duggan said: “We thought Daisy Hall’s debut play, Bellringers, which ran Downstairs two years ago, such an extraordinary piece of writing that we very swiftly commissioned this, her second play. Dogstar again transports the audience to a superficially familiar but alien and surprising universe, and is every bit as imaginative, compelling and darkly funny as the first play. Daisy is a very special talent and she is clearly destined for great things, so it’s wonderful for Hampstead Theatre to be able to support her early career in this way. That, after all, is one of the key objectives of our Downstairs programme.”
Morrison also returns to Hampstead Theatre after the sell-out successes of Personal Values and The Animal Kingdom. She is joined on the creative team by designer Hannah Schmidt, lighting designer Holly Ellis and sound designer Anna Short.
The production marks Hall’s second collaboration with Hampstead Theatre and continues the venue’s commitment to developing and producing new writing through its Downstairs programme.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
