Bridgerton Star To Appear in Lyric Hammersmith Play

---

Ruby Barker named in cast of Running with Lions

Ruby Barker on left by Steve Piper on right in Bridgerton

The actor Ruby Barker, who starred as Marina Thompson in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton, has been named in the cast for a new production at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

She is to appear in Running with Lions, a co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company which runs from 10 February to 12 March. Her other screen credits include the lead role of Yakira in the independent feature film How To Stop A Recurring Dream and Georgia Nixon in Sky's political drama Cobra

It is the debut stage play from new writer Sian Carter and will be directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong in the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s Main House.

It also features Wil Johnson who has performed extensively on stage and the screen for over 30 years including all nine series of Waking the Dead as DS Spencer Jordan as well as Nickcolia King-N’da most recently on stage in The Death Of A Blackman at Hampstead Theatre; and Suzette Llewellyn who played Sheree Truman in EastEnders and will mark her first appearance in Hammersmith where she was born. In addition the cast includes Velile Tshabalala recently seen as Viv in Hollyoaks and who has previously starred as Kareesha Lopez in Kerching, Monique Hyde in Call The Midwife and Rosita in Dr Who.

Running with Lions is an intergenerational family drama about love, loss and hope: following three generations of women, it explores what it means to allow those we love to be themselves. It marks the first co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company, the UK’s outstanding Black British Theatre Company. The production is based on the audio play of the same name originally commissioned by BBC Radio 4.

Following the death of a loved one, a British-Caribbean family struggles to come to terms with their grief. Isolated by their generational beliefs and challenges to their faith and mental health, they live between the things they do and do not say.

Michael Buffong, Artistic Director of Talawa Theatre Company, said, "Sian Carter is a brilliant new writer; her story of an intergenerational family learning to overcome the challenges we all face today is, I think, life-affirming. To be able to co-produce this play with the Lyric is a welcomed dream. We have an amazing cast and I believe this is going to be an absolute treat for audiences."

Rachel O’Riordan, Artistic Director of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre said, “I’ve long admired the work of Talawa Theatre Company and Michael Buffong and it’s a joy to be working with them on Running with Lions, our very first co-production together, and championing an exceptional new writer, Sian Carter. We can’t wait to welcome an incredible cast and team to the Lyric and share this bold, exciting work with audiences in the New Year.”

As part of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s Free First Night scheme, all tickets for the first preview of Running with Lions on Thursday 10 February will be free to people who live or work in Hammersmith and Fulham. Registration for the ballot will open in January 2022 on the Lyric web site.

Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

 

December 20, 2021