Mischief Theatre’s new musical comedy Thespians, co-produced by HOME, has announced its full cast ahead of the UK tour, which arrives at HOME this July

HOME Manchester, JPT Productions & Mercury Theatre Colchester, announce the full cast for the world premiere of Mischief’s first musical comedy, THESPIANS.

Manchester audiences will once again get a front-row seat to Mischief’s signature chaos, with HOME co-producing this new production. The cast features audience favourites from Lowry, London’s West End and Broadway, including Allie Dart and James Spence (Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch) and Claire-Marie Hall (Les Misérables, Operation Mincemeat), alongside Curtis Patrick, known for Young Frankenstein at Hope Mill Theatre. Mischief were last in Manchester with Christmas Carol Goes Wrong in November 2025 and premiered the UK tour of Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle at Palace Theatre Manchester in 2024, reinforcing their strong connection with local audiences.

MISCHIEF, the team behind the multi award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong, rewrite ancient history with the first musical created by ‘the UK’s funniest theatre company’ (LBC Radio). 

Written by Jonathan Sayer (co-writer of The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery) and Ed Zanders (musical director Mischief Movie Night), Thespians transports the audience back to 534 BC, where, on Greece’s smallest island, a brave band of bards is battling to avoid defeat in a nationwide prayer competition set up by a thin-skinned tyrant.  The odds couldn’t be higher – the loser faces the death sentence and things are not looking good for the islanders… until… Thespis accidentally invents acting, leading to the world’s first play and the birth of theatre as we know it!   

The cast for this uplifting Grecian musical comedy romp comprises  Allie Dart (Unfortunate; The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – The Other Palace/The Lowry and UK Tour, The Comedy About Spies – Noël Coward Theatre, West End) as Rhapsodes/Dance Captain; Ashley Tucker (Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – UK tour, Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort Of )and Baskerville – Vienna’s English Theatre) as part of the ensemble; Claire-Marie Hall (Operation Mincemeat – Broadway/West End, Les Misérables – West End) as Poly; Curtis Patrick (Young Frankenstein –  Hope Mill Theatre, A Streetcar Named Desire – Noël Coward Theatre) as part of the ensemble;  James Spence (Unfortunate; The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – The Other Palace/The Lowry) as Thespis; Josh Patel-Foster (Oliver! – Gielgud Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre, Roman Holiday – Theatre Royal Bath) as part of the ensemble; Luke Latchman (Now That’s What I Call A Musical –  UK Tour;  Sunset Boulevard –  Savoy Theatre) as Atlas;  Marc Pickering (The Play What I Wrote – Devonshire Park Theatre, Bleak Expectations – Criterion Theatre) as Adonis; Matt Cavendish (The Comedy About Spies – West End, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – West End) as Bard; Mia Jerome (The Manningtree Witches – Mercury Theatre Colchester, Romeo & Juliet – Jamie Lloyd Company) as Melampus and Rhys Taylor (Millennials – The Other Palace; Everybody’s Talking About Jamie UK Tour) as The Tyrant.

Joining Jonathan Sayer and Ed Zanders, the creative team is completed by director – Robyn Grant (Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch – The Other Palace, The Battle – Birmingham Rep); designer – Jasmine Swan (Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch – The Other Palace, The Mesmerist – Watford Palace Theatre); choreographer – Melody Sinclair-Marsh (Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch -The Other Palace,  #50Days: A State Of The Nation Grime Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome/BYMT); lighting designer –  David Howe (Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – West End, Private Lives – Broadway); sound designer – Nick Lodge (The Sound of Music – Leicester Curve, Dick Whittington – Plymouth Theatre Royal); musical director – Ben Smith (Operation Mincemeat – West End, Giant – Royal Opera House); associate director – Joe Allen (as an actor The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical – The Other Palace, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – West End), casting directors Lucy Jenkins CDG and Sooki McShane CDG and executive producer Henry Lewis.

Director Robyn Grant says

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be heading into rehearsals with such a brilliant cast and creative team. It’s a real joy to be directing Mischief’s first musical, and I can’t wait to start building something playful, ambitious, and full of surprises together. With a company this strong, it feels like we’re in very safe hands – and ready to take on the small matter of reinventing the origins of theatre.”

Writer Jonathan Sayer says“I can’t wait for rehearsals to start! I’m so excited about our cast, they’re absolutely brilliant and it’s going to be a joy to see the characters and the songs brought to life.”

Thespians plays at HOME Manchester 7 – 18 July. Tickets are available here.