David Calder will join the cast of Jennifer Haley’s haunting thriller The Nether when it transfers to the Duke of York’s Theatre in January.
The actor will step into the role of Doyle, taking over from David Beames following the hit production’s Royal Court run this summer.
A regular for the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, Calder has recently appeared on the London stage in The Doctor’s Dilemma and Hamlet at the NT, but The Nether marks his return to the West End, and the Duke of York’s Theatre, for the first time since Trevor Nunn’s 2006 production of Rock ‘N’ Roll. The performer is also well known for his screen appearances, which include ITV mini-series Titanic and crime drama Widows.
Calder is joined by previously announced original cast members Amanda Hale, Stanley Townsend and Ivanno Jeremiah alongside young performers Zoe Brough and Isabella Pappas, who alternate the role of Iris.
Set in a virtual wonderland that offers online users total sensory immersion after logging in, The Nether follows an investigation into the complicated, disturbing morality of identity in a digital world and explores the consequences of making dreams a reality.
The 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning play premiered at the Royal Court in July, when it earned a string of four star reviews, including that of The Telegraph’s Charles Spencer who described the piece as “a thought-provoking, deeply disconcerting success”.
The Nether will bring its disturbing tale to the Duke of York’s Theatre from 30 January to 25 April. It follows the current run of Tim Firth’s comedian-packed hit Neville’s Island, which closes on 3 January.