Thunder Road Theatre, in association with Watford Palace Theatre, proudly announce the cast and creative team for its hotly anticipated new production The Void – a thrilling sci-fi horror story created for the stage, touring across the UK from autumn 2025.
Following the success of their critically acclaimed show Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, Thunder Road returns with their most ambitious production to date – fusing multimedia, illusion, cinematic design and live performance to plunge audiences into an otherworldly nightmare.
Writer and Director Ryan Simons, known for blending horror, drama and cinema, will act in the production as the enigmatic scientist, Blair. Simons’ film and television credits include Seizure, Demon Eye, Eastenders and Spooks. Simons trained in playwriting at Hull Truck Theatre in 2012 under the guidance of David Windass.
Joining Simons on stage as the haunted space ranger, Flint, is Leeds-based actor, Alex Moran, Thunder Road founder and producer, whose credits include the UK/Ireland & South Africa tour of War Horse (National Theatre) and Quality Street (Northern Broadsides).
The voice of the ship’s omnipresent AI, NOVA, is recorded by celebrated stage and screen actor Olwen May (Happy Valley, The Bay). Further voiceover artists are: Sophie Mensah (The Cage, BBC) as Phebus, Clementina Allende Iriarte (The Farmer and the Clown, Bristol Old Vic), as Malek, Kanfing Camara (Violating Peace, Mad World), Alexa Lee (Casualty, Eastenders, BBC) as XI, and Nimisha Odedra (Silo, Apple TV) as Ru.
Steve Marmion (Watford Palace Theatre, Soho Theatre) joins as dramaturg, and award-winning designer Caitlin Mawhinney (National Theatre, Leeds Playhouse) leads the visual world of the show, with an eerie sound design by Nick Sagar (Horrible Histories, Awful Auntie, Jungle Book) and lighting from Andrew Crofts, who returns following his work on Shock Horror. Composer Ben Parsons – Emmy-nominated for The Hidden Lives of Pets – provides a cinematic score.
Thunder Road will collaborate with magic double act Jay & Joss of Fine Entertainments for illusion design – the team behind magic consultancy on Britain’s Got Talent and winners of the Magic Circle Champions of Stage Illusion 2024 award.
The show’s visual storytelling is amplified through filmed sequences by Director of Photography Dave Hackney (Polterheist, Tea with the Reaper), while construction and scenic design are brought to life by Will T Hunter and Sophia Constance.
Alex Moran, Producer and Actor, said: “I’d like to shout out to our extraordinary creative team for The Void – their combined talents span the very best of stage, screen, and beyond. This collaborative approach is allowing us to push the boundaries of what live theatre can achieve and create something really special for audiences. We’re so excited to perform the world premiere of The Void in Hull. This show, like Hull itself, is bold, exciting and fearless in its approach. We can’t wait to be there.”
On the premiere of the show, Writer and Director Ryan Simons said: “Opening the show in Hull feels like a real full-circle moment – it’s where my journey into playwriting began and so it feels very special. The Void is about fear in its many forms – the fear of the unknown, of being alone, of losing control. We’re using all the tools of theatre and cinema to take audiences on a journey they won’t forget.”
The Void will run at Hull Truck Theatre on Saturday 6th September at 7:30pm. For further info and tickets, visit www.hulltruck.co.uk/whats-on/drama/the-void
For further details of The Void tour, cast and creative team, visit: www.thunderroadtheatre.org/thevoid