Jenny Seagrove, Peter Bowles and Adam Garcia are among the cast of a new production of The Exorcist which will have its UK première at Birmingham REP.
The Oscar-winning film version of the story has terrified generations of people since its release in 1973. The play is by John Pielmeier and is based on William Peter Blatty’s novel.
The play had its world première in 2012 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The cast included Brooke Shields and Richard Chamberlain.
In the new version, Jenny Seagrove plays Chris who suffers emotional turmoil in the search to find help for her daughter’s increasingly strange behaviour. Her recent credits include Fiona Foster in Alan Ayckbourn’s How The Other Half Loves at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2016, Adela Shelley in Noël Coward’s Volcano at the Vaudeville Theatre in 2012 and Georgie in The Country Girl by Clifford Odets at the Apollo Theatre in 2010.
Peter Bowles will play Father Merrin, the exorcist of the title. He has had several leading roles in classic plays for Sir Peter Hall and is probably best remembered for playing the role of Richard DeVere in the BBC comedy series To The Manor Born.
Adam Garcia is Damien, the troubled priest tasked with saving Regan. He has appeared in West End stage productions including Saturday Night Fever, Wicked and Kiss Me Kate.
The cast also includes Clare Louise Connolly (Regan), Todd Boyce (Doctor Strong), Mitchell Mullen (Doctor Klein), Joseph Wilkins (Father Joe) and Tristram Wymark (Burke).
Sean Mathias directs. Designer is Anna Fleischle, lighting designer is Tim Mitchell and composer and sound designer is Adam Cork. Video and projection designer is Duncan McLean and illusions are by Ben Hart.
The Exorcist runs at Birmingham REP from Friday 21 October until Saturday 5 November.