Zaraah Abrahams and Oliver Farnworth will join the previously announced Suranne Jones in Jonathan Harvey’s award-winning play Beautiful Thing, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a new production opening at the Arts theatre later this year.
Directed by Nikolai Foster, the tale of two young men from an inner city housing estate who find comedy, warmth and the music of Mama Cass through their loud-mouthed next door neighbour Leah will play from 13 April to 25 May.
Taking on the role of Leah, Abrahams, who appeared alongside her co-star Jones in detective drama Scott And Bailey, is best known for her on screen roles in Waterloo Road and Coronation Street but skated further into the limelight in 2008 as a finalist on ITV reality show Dancing On Ice.
Fellow soap star Farnworth, who is well-known for his long-standing appearance in Hollyoaks, has previously appeared on stage in Holding The Man at the Trafalgar Studios and Foster’s production of Kes at the Liverpool Playhouse.
Taking on the role of the teenagers at the centre of Beautiful Thing’s urban love story are Jake Davies and Danny-Boy Hatchard. Like his co-stars, Davies is best known for his television roles, having appeared in ITV’s psychological thriller A Mother’s Son, BBC period drama Call The Midwife and Jack Whitehall-penned sitcom Bad Education, while Hatchard will make his professional debut in the production.
Beautiful Thing will open at the Arts theatre following the world premiere of new musical The Tailor-Made Man starring Steps’ Faye Tozer from 13 February to 6 April.