Cast announced for world premiere of HOLY FOOL

Shehrazade Zafar-Arif 17 July, 2026, 13:33

Park Theatre and Wild Yak, together with co-producer Alexander “Sandy” Marshall, have announced the full cast for the world premiere of Holy Fool, a new play inspired by the true story of legendary Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

Image provided by production

Written by Rosalind Adler and Lea Sellers, and directed by Kate Fahy, Holy Fool tells the story of Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century. At the height of Stalin's regime, Shostakovich walks a perilous tightrope. Under the constant threat of torture and death, he must appease a brutal despot – while quietly resisting him. Faking compliance, he resists Stalin in his own way by composing code embedded into his music, which conceals as much as it reveals.

Benjamin O’Mahony (Stu Hale in the BAFTA nominated Kajaki; Hollyoaks; Ripper Street) stars as Dmitri “Mitya” Shostakovich. He is joined by Jenna Augen (Kyoto - RSC and West End; Leopoldstadt - West End and Broadway) as ‘Nina’, Phoebe Pryce (The Merchant of Venice - Shakespeare's Globe; The Importance of Being Earnest - Royal Exchange), as ‘Katya’ and Fergus O’Donnell (RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, I May Destroy You) as ‘Izaak’.

The production reunites acclaimed director Kate Fahy with a creative team including Will Fricker (Design) alongside lighting designer Oliver Fenwick and sound designer Julian Starr.

Holy Fool plays at Park Theatre from Thursday 27 August to Saturday 10 October 2026, with a national press night on Thursday 3 September.

Holy Fool Tickets