Rob Pomfret, Rachel Pickup and Noah Huntley head the cast of The Daughter of Time, a new play based on Josephine Tey’s crime novel that will have its world premiere at Charing Cross Theatre this summer.
London, 1950. Inspector Alan Grant, laid up in hospital, investigates the alleged crimes of Richard III and the murder of the Princes in the Tower as a “cold case file.” What begins as a distraction becomes an urgent mission, as Grant tangles with two scheming Shakespearean actors, a couple of opinionated nurses, his own sceptical deputy, and a lovesick young American historical researcher to solve his case. And along the way, he might just solve the mystery of his own heart.
Pomfret (Uncle Vanya) plays Inspector Alan Grant, a brilliant but cantankerous Scotland Yard detective confined to a hospital bed and compelled to turn his investigative skills to a centuries-old mystery.
Pickup (The Gilded Age) is Marta Hallard, a glamorous leading lady of the London stage whose affection for Grant runs deeper than friendship.
Huntley (The Days of Our Lives) plays Nigel Templeton, a polished Shakespearean actor and Marta’s loyal confidant.
The cast also includes Harrison Sharpe (Overwhelm) as Brent Carradine, an earnest young American researcher whose enthusiasm proves infectious. Hafsa Abbasi (The Daughters of Oedipus) plays Nurse Ingham, a theatre-loving young nurse with strong opinions and a soft heart.
Janna Fox (African Gothic) is Nurse Darroll, a no-nonsense, history-loving caregiver with a formidable presence. Sanya Adegbola (Doctor Who) plays Sergeant Williams, Grant’s grounded and good-humoured colleague from the Yard.
Completing the cast is Henry Douthwaite (The Butterfly Lion), understudy for Grant and Templeton; Sophie Doyle (Twelfth Night), ensemble and understudy for the Nurses; and Gregor Roach (Primary Playwrights), ensemble and understudy for Carradine and Williams.
Produced by Excelsior Entertainment, Mercurius Theatre and Steven M Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions, it is written by M Kilburg Reedy and directed by Jenny Eastop.
Set & costume design is by Bob Sterrett, with lighting design by Oliver McNally, composition by Haddon Kime, sound design by Andrew Johnson, hair, make-up & wigs by Diana Estrada Hudson, casting by Neil Rutherford and production management by James Anderton.
The production begins on Friday, July 18, 2025 for a strictly limited run until Saturday, September 13. Tickets: The Daughter of Time