Derby Theatre and Birmingham Stage Company have got together to produce E B White’s Charlotte’s Web this Christmas.
The story involves a young girl called Fern who befriends Wilbur, a pig. He is no ordinary pig and needs to be saved from becoming Christmas dinner.
A witty spider called Charlotte conjures up a plan to try to keep Wilbur alive.
Rehearsals began in London and have now moved to Derby.
Richard James-Neale will play Wilbur the pig. His credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe; Cyrano de Bergerac for the RSC; and Pygmalion at the Old Vic.
Claire Redcliffe will play Charlotte the spider. She has appeared in Stepping Out at Salisbury Playhouse and Great Expectations at Manchester Library Theatre. On television she has been in Doctors, EastEnders and The Royal.
Christopher Chilton will play Uncle Homer. He has numerous television credits to his name including Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. On stage he has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the RSC, Tom’s Midnight Garden at Manchester Library Theatre and The Snow Queen at West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Hayley Ellenbrook will play Fern. She recently appeared in The Tempest, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate.
Jake J Bowerman will play Fern’s brother, Avery. He recently appeared in Opera North’s production of Carousel at the Barbican Theatre.
Richard Neale who was in The Comedy of Errors and Richard II at Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol will play Templeton the Rat.
The cast also includes Luke Foster and Elizabeth Rose who both hail from Derbyshire.
Charlotte’s Web runs at Derby Theatre from Friday (7 December) until Saturday, 12 January.