LATER this month Nuffield’s Director Samuel Hodges makes his directorial debut with a production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. The production will feature design by Ultz (Olivier Award winner, Jerusalem, Royal Court).

Under Hodges’ guidance Nuffield have won “Regional Theatre of the Year” at The Stage Awards 2015 and have announced that they will be the operating company of the North Building in Southampton’s new city centre arts venue due to open in 2017, whilst continuing to run their current space on the Highfield campus of the University of Southampton.

Samuel Hodges said: “I am thrilled that my Nuffield debut as a director will be the masterpiece The Glass Menagerie. This is one of the finest works from one of the greatest twentieth century dramatists and was his first great Broadway success. It was radical and bold when it was first produced almost 70 years ago, a quality which it retains uniquely to this day, making it a perfect fit for the work we are creating at Nuffield.”

Written by Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) in 1944 and partly based on the author’s own youth, The Glass Menagerie is considered one of the great plays of the twentieth century.

The cast will feature Danny Lee Wynter (Joes’s Palace), Belinda Lang (2point4 Children), Pearl Chanda (Arthur & George), and Wilf Scolding (Skins).

Danny Lee Wynter will play the protagonist, Tom. Danny has recently been seen as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Vic in London, directed by Mark Rylance. He has also appeared in Henry IV Part I & II and King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe. His television credits include Joe in Stephen Poliakoff’s Joe’s Palace and Capturing Mary (BBC/HBO Films). Danny is a founder of the campaign group The Act for Change Project.

Belinda Lang will play Tom’s mother, Amanda. Belinda is well known for playing Bill Porter in BBC sitcom 2point4 Children and Liza Ferrari in Second Thoughts. Her previous theatre credits include Oklahoma! (Northampton/tour), School for Scandal (Park Theatre), Ladies in Lavender (National tour), The Bomb: The Second Blast (Tricycle Theatre), The Killing of Sister George (Arts Theatre), and East is East (Birmingham Rep).

Pearl Chanda will take the role of Laura. Her previous theatre credits include Crave (Sheffield Crucible), Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC), and The Seagull (Headlong/Nuffield), and her film and television credits include Mr Turner (Film4) and Arthur & George (ITV).

Wilf Scolding will play Jim. Wilf recently starred in the English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Brighton Productions’ revival of Arcadia, directed by Nuffield Associate Director Blanche McIntyre. His television credits include The Passing Bells (BBC) and Skins (Channel 4), and his radio credits include Holger Holzer in The Golden Years: Friedrichstrasse for BBC Radio 4.

The Glass Menagerie will run at Nuffield from 9 – 31 October 2015. For more information call 023 80671771 or nuffieldtheatre.co.uk.