New rehearsal images released for Fences starring stage and screen favourite Ray Fearon

August Wilson’s American blockbuster opens in the Courtyard Theatre at Leeds Playhouse from 11-26 September.

Pioneering theatre company Headlong have released new rehearsal images for their extraordinary new touring production of August Wilson’s Fences.

Directed by award-winning director Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch), this co-production with Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and HOME Manchester marks the first major revival in over a decade of this American blockbuster.

A landmark play by one of America’s most influential 20th century writers, Fences is a story of ambition for our time, exploring ever-present themes including masculinity, motherhood, music and the abiding hope for a different future. Troy Maxson has cheated death once, but the past keeps closing in. On Pittsburgh’s streets, he cracks jokes and spins stories, yet at home, the pressure is building. His wife Rose holds the family together. She sees a changing world and hopes their son Cory might step into it with more freedom than Troy ever had. But when dreams collide and tempers flare, the Maxsons edge towards a reckoning that could reshape everything they know.

The cast includes Ray Fearon (Othello, RSC; Fleabag, BBC; Coronation Street, ITV) as Troy, Madeline Appiah (In the Long Run, Sky; The Winter’s Tale, RSC; Tina Turner The Musical, West End) as Rose, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Choir Boy, Theatre Royal Stratford East & Bristol Old Vic; Cabaret, Kit Kat Club, Playhouse Theatre) as Lyons, Josh Tedeku (Boarders, BBC; Supacell, Netflix) as Cory, Simon-Anthony Rhoden (Gone, ITV; The Harder They Come, Stratford East) as Gabriel and Everal A Walsh (Small Island, Animal Farm and Through It All Together, Leeds Playhouse) as Jim Bono.

The creative team includes Set & Costume Designer Lily Arnold, Composer and Sound Designer Khalil Madovi, Lighting Designer Jai Morjaria, Movement Director Shelley Maxwell, Fight Director Kev McCurdy, Design Associate Emily King, Casting Director Heather Basten CDG, Voice and Dialect Aundrea Fudge and Associate Director Amber Ruby.

Headlong Executive Director Lisa Maguire said: “It means so much to be putting August Wilson’s work front and centre for audiences across the country. This extraordinary play encompasses so much of what drives us at Headlong – breathing new life into work that deserves its place in the canon, while asking our audiences to think and feel deeply about the world we share.

“Despite being written over 40 years ago, the central themes are still all too resonant today. From the streets of Pittsburgh to our own backyard here in the UK – how much can we say has really changed? We’re thrilled to be working with director Daniel Bailey on his take on this classic.”

Headlong and Leeds Playhouse have forged a highly successful Associate Partnership, collaborating on a string of critically acclaimed productions including Henry V, The House Party, A Raisin in the Sun, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and August Wilson’s Jitney. This production also sees them reuniting with the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre after their joint success of A Raisin in the Sun in 2024, and HOME in Manchester after their hit The House Party. As part of the tour, Headlong will also be returning to their Associate Partner Oxford Playhouse, their third major touring show at the venue since they relocated to the city.

This production is generously supported by Charles Holloway OBE.

August Wilson’s Fences plays at Leeds Playhouse 11-26 September. Tickets are available here.