Heart Wall at Bush Theatre: cast announced for Kit Withington’s new northern drama
A new play by Manchester writer Kit Withington opens at Bush Theatre this spring, directed by Katie Greenall and led by a cast including Sophie Stanton, Aaron Anthony and Rowan Robinson. Set in a north-west pub, Heart Wall traces a family gathering shadowed by grief and buried history.
Bush Theatre has confirmed full casting and creative details for Heart Wall, a world premiere by Kit Withington running from 7 April to 16 May 2026.
Set over the course of a Friday night in a local pub, the play centres on Franky, home from university and returning to familiar territory: pints at the bar, Motown drifting from speakers, karaoke queued up for eight. The pub, once a fixture of community life, becomes the setting for a family quietly coming apart. Franky’s father has withdrawn, old secrets begin to surface, and the comfort of routine proves fragile.
Withington, a Manchester-born playwright and alum of the Bush Writers’ Group, has previously developed work at Soho Theatre and the Royal Court. Her play As We Face the Sun was staged by the Bush’s 18–25 company, and her first radio drama, Nearly Light, was highly commended at the BBC Audio Awards. Heart Wall is co-commissioned with Oldham Coliseum, reinforcing its north-west roots.
Photos: 1.Heart Wall (photo by Isaac Marley Morgan); 2. Katie Greenall; 3. Kit Withington
Direction comes from Katie Greenall, Associate Director (Creative Exchange) at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, and a former Associate Director at the Bush. Greenall’s work has focused on new writing and youth ensembles, with credits including Communion, Anthem and As We Face the Sun. Their own solo work, FATTY FAT FAT, won the VAULTS Origins Award, and BLUBBER toured following a run at Edinburgh’s Summerhall.
Rowan Robinson plays Franky. A RADA graduate and recipient of the Sir Alec Guinness Award, Robinson’s recent screen work includes Brassic, Passenger and A Haunting in Venice. On stage she has appeared in A Taste of Honey at the Royal Exchange and When We Are Married at the Donmar Warehouse.
Sophie Stanton returns to the Bush stage for the first time since appearing in Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing in 1993. A familiar presence across British television and theatre, her stage credits include work at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Almeida and the Donmar Warehouse.
Aaron Anthony, whose theatre work spans Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre and the Royal Exchange, plays Valentine. Olivia Forrest, recently seen at Theatre 503 and the National Theatre, plays Charli. Deka Walmsley, whose extensive stage career includes the National Theatre, Royal Court and Shakespeare’s Globe, plays Dez.
The creative team includes set and costume designer Hazel Low, lighting designer Simisola Majekodunmi, sound designer and composer Mwen, movement director Mateus Daniel and casting director Jatinder Chera.
Performances run Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with scheduled Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Relaxed, captioned and audio-described performances are programmed across the run.
Ticket prices range from £15 to £35, with concession rates available. The Bush has moved away from dynamic pricing this season, increasing the number of £15 tickets and setting all concessions at £5.
What, where, when
What: Heart Wall by Kit Withington
Where: Bush Theatre, London
When: 7 April – 16 May 2026
Tickets: £15–£35, concessions available via bushtheatre.co.uk
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
