The first pictures of Rhys Ifans in On Bear Ridge at the Royal Court have been released.
Welsh playwright Ed Thomas’s play, which is a semi-autobiographical story based on his own childhood village, will open on October 24.
The co-production with the National Theatre Wales will be co-directed by Royal Court artistic director Vicky Featherstone and Thomas himself.
Ifans is joined in the cast by Rakie Ayola, who recently performed in Strange Fruit at the Bush Theatre, Midsomer Murders’ Jason Hughes and Sion Daniel Young, who starred in War Horse.
The story follows a family-run butcher and grocer, where owners John Daniel (Ifans) and Noni (Ayola) are remembering the good times as the village is forgotten.
On Bear Ridge comes to the Royal Court after a run at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff.
Ifans was last seen on the London stage in Exit the King at the National Theatre last year, where he played a 400-year-old despot.
Thomas has staged previous plays House of America and Gas Station Angel at the Royal Court, as well as writing the Welsh language TV drama Hinterland/Y Gwyll.
On Bear Ridge runs at the Royal Court from October 24-November 23, royalcourttheatre.com
