Bristol Old Vic, in association with ETT, has announced the complete creative team joining multi-award-winning West Country playwright Bea Roberts and director Nancy Medina for the world premiere stage adaptation of Max Porter’s Booker Prize-nominated novel, Lanny. Opening this autumn, the production runs from October 16 to November 7, with an official press night scheduled for October 22.
Bringing the haunting, lyrical story to life is a team of acclaimed theatrical designers and artists. Bristol-based set and costume designer Rebecca Jane Wood (Outlier) joins the production alongside lighting designer Zeynep Kepekli (The Meaning of Zong). Award-winning composer and musical director Dom Coyote, currently the musical director for the National Theatre’s War Horse, will shape the production's sonic landscape. Movement director Dan Canham (A Monster Calls) and associate movement director Divija Mellaly will oversee the choreography, while associate director Rikki Henry and casting director Arthur Carrington round out the team.
The production follows a family who leaves London for a remote West Country village, where their young son, Lanny, awakens the attention of the ancient and enigmatic entity Dead Papa Toothwort. Blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination, the play explores deep themes of folklore, community, and belonging.
The staging marks another high-profile project for Nancy Medina, who has served as the Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic since 2023. Her previous work for the historic venue includes the critically acclaimed, award-winning revival of Choir Boy and A Good House. The source material’s author, Max Porter, is equally celebrated for his unique storytelling; his debut novel, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, was famously adapted for the stage starring Cillian Murphy, and his recent Netflix adaptation, Steve, received a BAFTA nomination in 2025.
Casting for the production will be announced later this summer. Tickets for the strictly limited season are available now through the official Bristol Old Vic website, starting from £11 for audiences aged 13 and above.
Photo credit: Barbara Evripidou
