Eight million miles from Earth, a mysterious distress call crackles through the ether and
draws Flint, a haunted space ranger, towards the Odyssey – an ageing research vessel
in the grip of a nightmare. Boarding the craft, he finds a failing ship, a missing crew, and
a deadly force running out of control…
Following the success of their critically acclaimed show Shock Horror: A Ghost Story, Thunder Road returns in association with Watford Palace Theatre with their most ambitious production to date – fusing multimedia, illusion, cinematic design and live performance to plunge audiences into an otherworldly nightmare. The Void is a chilling sci-fi horror created for the stage – a decaying future of desperate humans, all-seeing AI, and memories of a distant, dangerous past. Combining powerful illusions, atmospheric projections and a creeping sense of dread, this story asks… what are you afraid of?
Writer and Director Ryan Simons, known for blending horror, drama and cinema, will act in the production as the enigmatic scientist, Blair. Simons’ film and television credits include Seizure, Demon Eye, Eastenders and Spooks. Joining him on stage as the haunted space ranger, Flint, is Alex Moran, Thunder Road founder and producer, whose credits include the UK/Ireland & South Africa tour of War Horse (National Theatre) and Quality Street (Northern Broadsides).
Alex Moran, Producer and Actor, said: “I’d like to shout out to our extraordinary creative team for The Void – their combined talents span the very best of stage, screen, and beyond. This collaborative approach is allowing us to
push the boundaries of what live theatre can achieve and create something really special for audiences.” Ryan Simons, Writer, Director and Actor, said: “The Void plunges you into a terrifying nightmare where horror and breath-taking visuals create our unique style of cinematic theatre that will haunt you long after the lights go down. We can’t wait to showcase the talents of this incredible team.”
The voice of the ship’s omnipresent AI, NOVA, is recorded by celebrated stage and screen actor Olwen May (Happy Valley, The Bay). Further voiceover artists are: Sophie Mensah (The Cage, BBC) as Phebus, Clementina Allende Iriarte (The Farmer and the Clown, Bristol Old Vic), as Malek, Kanfing Camara (Violating Peace, Mad World), Alexa Lee (Casualty, Eastenders, BBC) as XI, and Nimisha Odedra (Silo, Apple TV) as Ru.
Steve Marmion (Watford Palace Theatre, Soho Theatre) joins as dramaturg, and award-winning designer Caitlin Mawhinney (National Theatre, Leeds Playhouse) leads the visual world of the show, with an eerie sound design by Nick Sagar (Horrible Histories, Awful Auntie, Jungle Book) and lighting from Andrew Crofts, who returns following his work on Shock Horror. Composer Ben Parsons – Emmy-nominated for The Hidden Lives of Pets – provides a cinematic score.
Thunder Road will collaborate with magic double act Jay & Joss of Fine Entertainments for illusion design – the team behind magic consultancy on Britain’s Got Talent and winners of the Magic Circle Champions of Stage Illusion 2024 award. The show’s visual storytelling is amplified through filmed sequences by Director of Photography Dave Hackney (Polterheist, Tea with the Reaper), while construction and scenic design are brought to life by Will T Hunter and Sophia Constance.
For further details of The Void tour, cast and creative team, visit:
www.thunderroadtheatre.org/thevoid
