Aisling Loftus is to join fellow Nottingham actress Vicky McClure in Stephen Lowe’s Touched at Nottingham Playhouse in 2017.
Loftus is known for her television appearances as Agnes Towler in Mr Selfridge and Sonya Rostova in the BBC drama War and Peace. She will play Joan in Touched which was written by Nottingham playwright Stephen Lowe.
BAFTA-winner McClure who has appeared in This Is England, Line of Duty and Broadchurch, will take her first major stage role as Sandra.
Nottingham Playhouse artistic director Giles Croft said, “presenting the 40th anniversary of the best-known play by Nottingham’s most important playwright is a wonderful way to start the year; but to present it for the first time with authentic Nottingham voices is particularly exciting.
“Add to that the formidable talents of Vicky McLure and Aisling Loftus and this production will make an important statement about the cultural and creative life of the city.”
Matt Aston who directs Touched said, “Vicky McClure was always my first choice to play the part of Sandra. Despite the play premièring in 1977, it’s as if the play was written for her.
“It was my intention to cast the show with the authentic Nottingham voice at its core. We’ve managed to achieve that and I couldn’t be more excited at the prospect of getting started.”
Touched is a World War II drama set during the 100 days between VE and VJ Day and looks at the lives of a family of working-class Nottingham women. It runs at Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 17 February until Saturday 4 March 2017.