Cast Revealed For Jack Thorne's When Winston Went To War With The Wireless

The cast has been announced for the world premiere of Jack Thorne’s play When Winston went to War with the Wireless in London this June.

Thorne is acclaimed and multi-award-winning playwright best known for works such as BBC’s His Dark Materials, National Treasure and a recent adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

The performances will run at the Donmar Warehouse from 2 June 2023 to 29 July 2023, with an opening night on 13 June.

Based on a true story, the play is a timely examination of the BBC’s independence during the 1920s General Strike. A conflict for news reporting emerges, between the government's The British Gazette, at the time edited by Churchill, and John Reith's British Broadcast Company, today known as the BBC.

Adrian Scarborough (Leopoldstadt) will star in the role of young Winston Churchill, along with Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys) as former BBC director John Reith.

The director will be Katy Rudd (Ocean at the End of the Lane, Eureka Day), with design done by Laura Hopkins, light design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Max and Max Ringham, movement direction by Scott Graham, music by Gary Yershon, and casting by Anna Cooper CDG.

Further casting and creative team are to be announced at a later date.

The playwright Jack Thorne commented:

“Adrian is going to dazzle as the younger Churchill we’ve barely seen before, and Stephen will delight in bringing all the Gary Lineker shades in Reith. The BBC has constantly found itself pinched by Government crows, this was the first pinching and it feels an ever more apposite time to bring it to the stage.”

A one-of-a-kind opportunity to book a seat for “a true story about truth”.