BAFTA winner Daniel Rigby stars in Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Sheffield theatre

Daniel heads the cast of Accidental Death of an Anarchist which will be staged at the newly rebranded Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse (previously Studio Theatre) housed in the Crucible Theatre.

The production, which runs from September 23 to October 15, 2022, tells the story of a shape-shifting fraudster known only as The Maniac, who is brought into police headquarters just as the officers inside prepare for a judicial review of the ‘accidental’ death of a suspect while held in custody weeks earlier. Unable to the resist the opportunity to hold court, The Maniac dupes the police into performing a farcical recreation of the incident, exposing the absurd corruption and terrifying idiocy at the heart of the system.

Daniel, who won a BAFTA for best actor for his portrayal as Eric Morecambe in the BBC production of Eric and Ernie, plays The Maniac. This will be his third production for Sheffield Theatres, having performed in Frost/Nixon and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Ruby Thomas, who will play Fi Phelan, and Howard Ward, cast as Burton, are both making a return to Sheffield, having previously performed in Pride and Prejudice.

The cast of Accidental Death of an Anarchist will include Shane David-Joseph (Jerusalem) playing Joseph, Tony Gardner (BBC’s Last Tango in Halifax) playing The Superintendent and Jordan Metcalfe (Jack Absolute Flies Again) playing Daisy.

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Daniel Raggett, director, said: ‘I'm really excited to be working with a brilliant cast and creative team to bring Tom Basden's timely adaptation of Dario Fo and Franca Rame's Accidental Death of an Anarchist to Sheffield. At the heart of this hilarious farce is an excoriating investigation of abuses of power by those in authority and the seemingly never ending cycle of outrage and inquiry in which we're trapped. The form is no accident as there is something inherently farcical about the world of alternative facts, scandals and ineptitude in which we live”

Tickets, priced £21, can be booked through the box office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk