CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR WOLRD PREMIERE OF 'THE DAUGHTER OF TIME' AT CHARING CROSS THEATRE

FULL CASTING IS ANNOUNCED FOR

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME

THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION

OPENING THIS SUMMER AT CHARING CROSS THEATRE

FRIDAY 18 JULY 2025 – SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2025

Excelsior Entertainment, Mercurius Theatre and Steven M. Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Ltd are thrilled to announce full casting for the world premiere of The Daughter of Time, a new play based on Josephine Tey’s seminal crime novel playing at Charing Cross Theatre, directed by Jenny Eastop.

Written by playwright M. Kilburg Reedy, the production begins performances on Friday 18 July 2025 for a strictly limited run until Saturday 13 September, with a Gala Press Night on Friday 25 July, marking what would have been Tey’s 129th birthday.

The Daughter of Time

London, 1950. 

Inspector Alan Grant, laid up in hospital, investigates the alleged crimes of Richard III and the murder of the Princes in the Tower as a “cold case file.”  What begins as a distraction becomes an urgent mission, as Grant tangles with two scheming Shakespearean actors, a couple of opinionated nurses, his own sceptical deputy, and a lovesick young American historical researcher to solve his case.   And along the way, he might just solve the mystery of his own heart.

The production features a distinguished cast portraying a vivid array of characters.

Rob Pomfret (Uncle Vanya, My Cousin Rachel, A View From the Bridge, A Voyage Round My Father – all Theatre Royal Bath, The Mousetrap, West End, Rivals for Disney, The Bay and Grantchester for ITV) stars as ‘Inspector Alan Grant’, a brilliant but cantankerous Scotland Yard detective confined to a hospital bed and compelled to turn his investigative skills to a centuries-old mystery.

Rachel Pickup (The Gilded Age seasons 2 and 3, Still Life, Twelfth Night at the Mill at Sonning, The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare’s Globe and on international tour) is ‘Marta Hallard’, a glamorous leading lady of the London stage whose affection for Grant runs deeper than friendship. 

Noah Huntley (The Days of Our Lives, 28 Days Later, Snow White and the Huntsman, Dracula Untold, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Library Theatre) plays ‘Nigel Templeton’, a polished Shakespearean actor and Marta’s loyal confidant.

Harrison Sharpe (Overwhelm, Real Eyes at Camden Festival, Fathers and Sons at the Donmar Warehouse) is ‘Brent Carradine’, an earnest young American researcher whose enthusiasm proves infectious. 

Hafsa Abbasi (The Daughters of Oedipus, The Final Trumpet) plays ‘Nurse Ingham’, a theatre-loving young nurse with strong opinions and a soft heart.

Janna Fox (African Gothic at Park 90, The Merchant of Venice at the Duke of York’s and Globe Rome) is ‘Nurse Darroll’, a no-nonsense, history-loving caregiver with a formidable presence.

Sanya Adegbola (Doctor Who, EastEnders, The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare’s Globe, Titus Andronicus and The School for Scandal with the RSC, Quiz UK tour) plays ‘Sergeant Williams’, Grant’s grounded and good-humoured colleague from the Yard.

Completing the cast is Henry Douthwaite (The Butterfly Lion, Bob Marley: One Love), understudy for Grant and Templeton; Sophie Doyle (Twelfth Night, The Snow Queen), ensemble and understudy for the Nurses; and Gregor Roach (Primary Playwrights, On The Other Side of the War), ensemble and understudy for ‘Carradine’ and ‘Williams’.

Presented by Excelsior Entertainment, Mercurius Theatre and Steven M. Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Ltd., The Daughter of Time reimagines Tey’s genre-defining novel – ranked No.1 in the British Crime Writers’ Association’s list of the Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time – for the stage, blending mystery, wit and romance with a powerful inquiry into how history is written.

Playwright M. Kilburg Reedy said, “We are thrilled to now share the names of our incredibly talented, warm, and engaging world premiere company for The Daughter of Time at Charing Cross Theatre.  You cannot imagine the keen pleasure that Jenny and I and our superb casting director Neil Rutherford experienced in meeting and hearing each actor inhabit their character during the casting process, and we cannot wait for our audiences to experience the same delight we felt.”

Steven Levy, Producer and Manager of the Charing Cross Theatre, said:  "We are thrilled to be home to the world premiere of this play at our theatre, which is a tribute to Josephine Tey and the enduring power and appeal of her most famous novel.  Audiences will be delighted by our playwright's respectful but innovative approach to adapting Tey's brilliant book for the stage.”

Director Jenny Eastop added “It was so exciting to meet these very talented actors and see them bring The Daughter of Time to life so vibrantly and skilfully during the casting process. I can’t wait to start rehearsals with this brilliant company.”

The Daughter of Time, based on the novel by Josephine Tey, is written by M. Kilburg Reedy, directed by Jenny Eastop, with set and costume design by Bob Sterrett, lighting design by Oliver McNally, composition by Haddon Kime, sound design by Andrew Johnson, hair, make-up and wigs by Diana Estrada Hudson, casting by Neil Rutherford, production management by James Anderton. The Daughter of Time is produced by Excelsior Entertainment, Mercurius Theatre, and Steven M. Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Limited.