Casting has been announced for An Oak Tree at The Other Palace, with Sean Gilder, Brian Gleeson, Sophie Melville, Juliet Stevenson, Rhashan Stone, Olivia Williams and Ria Zmitrowicz each taking a single turn as the mystery second performer alongside Tim Crouch.
Sean Gilder, Brian Gleeson, Sophie Melville, Juliet Stevenson, Rhashan Stone, Olivia Williams and Ria Zmitrowicz will each take a single turn as the mystery second performer alongside experimental theatre maker Tim Crouch (My Arm) in An Oak Tree.
The new cast members will join previously announced second performers, which include Rosalie Craig, Hammed Animashaun and Bessie Carter.
An Oak Tree, from Francesca Moody Productions (FMP), is a mind-bending theatrical experiment starring Tim Crouch and a different second actor at every performance. The show is running at The Other Palace between 5 October and 15 November 2026.
The full cast of second performers includes:
- Sean Gilder (Shameless) datę TBC
- Brian Gleeson (Snow White and the Huntsman) datę TBC
- Sophie Melville (Clarkston) datę TBC
- Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) date TBC
- Rhashan Stone (Into the Woods) date TBC
- Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) date TBC
- Ria Zmitrowicz (The Welkin) datę TBC
- Rosalie Craig (Riot Women, Good Night, Oscar) on 9 October
- Clare Perkins (Player Kings) on 13 October
- Tom Mothersdale (A Doll’s House) on 14 October
- Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) on 15 October
- Bessie Carter (Bridgerton, Mrs. Warren’s Profession) on 16 October
- Sacha Dhawan (Doctor Who) on 23 October
- Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops, Dealer’s Choice) on 29 October
- George Fouracres (SNL UK, Hamlet) on 10 November
What is An Oak Tree about?
Since its world premiere in 2005, Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree has become one of the most influential and widely celebrated plays of the 21st century, performed hundreds of times in more than 19 countries while continually reinventing itself.
Its groundbreaking premise sees a different guest artist join Crouch for every performance, stepping on stage without ever having read or rehearsed the play — over the past two decades, more than 350 performers have taken on the challenge, creating a unique event every night. Past guest artists have included Frances McDormand, Geoffrey Rush, Peter Dinklage, David Tennant, Jessie Buckley and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
This production of An Oak Tree is directed by Tim Crouch, Karl James and Andy Smith, with music by Pete Gill and piano by Simon Crane.
View live availability for An Oak Tree here
The Other Palace’s fringe season
An Oak Tree forms part of a wider Francesca Moody Productions season at The Other Palace, bringing together three shows that began life at the Fringe before captivating audiences around the world.
The season also features Garry Starr: Classic Penguins, in which internationally acclaimed comic performer Garry Starr sets out to perform every Penguin Classic novel ever written, “mostly naked (but with flippers),” which is running between 22 October 2026 and 3 January 2027, as well as Marcelo Dos Santos’s darkly funny solo show starring Steven Webb, Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen, which will run from 19 November 2026 until 10 January 2027.
Francesca Moody, whose credits include originating both Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, is one of the industry’s most influential producers. She is also known for championing bold new voices and developing groundbreaking work that goes on to achieve international acclaim.
Plan your visit to An Oak Tree
- Theatre: The Other Palace, London
- Booking dates: 5 October – 15 November 2026
- Performance schedule: Tuesday to Saturday evenings; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees
- Age range: 12+
The Other Palace, London
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