Eight decades after it was first published, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is to be revived in a new production at Birmingham REP.
The theatre’s artistic director Roxana Silbert, who directs the play, said, “Of Mice and Men is one of the truly great American stories. It’s an achingly powerful and beautiful play. It’s brutal and acute investigation into the impact of poverty is as resonant now as it was 80 years ago.”
There was controversy recently when former Education Secretary Michael Gove removed the text from the GCSE English literature syllabus.
Of Mice And Men tells the story of George and Lennie, two migrant farm workers, who go in search of new beginnings in the hope of attaining their shared dream: of putting together enough money to buy a small piece of land for a farm of their own.
Leading the cast as Lennie is Benjamin Dilloway whose theatre credits include The Silver Tassie at the National Theatre, If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep at the Royal Court and King Lear at the Almeida.
He will be joined by Michael Legge as George. He has appeared in My Cousin Rachel at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme at Hampstead Theatre and Southwark Fair and His Dark Materials at the National Theatre.
Norman Bowman will take the role of Slim while alongside him as Carlson and The Boss is Jan Knightley. Ciaran O’Brien will play Curley and Nicholas Goode is Whit. James Hayes will play Candy. Dave Fishley is Crooks.
Making her professional debut as Curley’s wife is Birmingham actor Lorna Nickson-Brown, a graduate of the Young REP youth theatre.
Of Mice And Men will be designed by Liz Ashcroft, with lighting design by Simon Bond, music and sound design by Nick Powell and movement by Aline David.
It runs at Birmingham REP from Friday (10 October) until Saturday, November 1. Press night is Tuesday 14 October and a post-show discussion with the company will be held on Thursday 16 October.