Wed 18 September 2019
When the late Peter Nichols wrote the ground-breaking play A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 1967, it was inspired by his own personal experience of bringing up his disabled daughter. A story about family, the funny and moving play shines a light on her parents’ caring for their daughter, who is affectionately nicknamed Joe Egg.
Now more than five decades later, a revival of this funny and moving masterpiece is to open at Trafalgar Studios this week, with the part of Joe Egg being played by Storme Toolis, an actor who herself suffers from cerebral palsy. This is the first time in the play’s West End history that a disabled actor has been cast in this pivotal role.
Storme Toolis said: “I definitely feel that as a disabled actor there are interesting familiar relationships in this play, but I don’t draw a lot on my own experiences. Everybody is different, so my job is to portray Joe’s story. I’m interested in understanding how a family in an era that is not 2019 would deal with having a disabled child and whether what they would go through and what we go through now would be kind of similar.
“I was really interested in the attitudes that were so prevalent towards disabilities in the 1960’s, but the play touches on so many other things, not just disability. It’s about how you put one foot in front of the other every single day, whatever your Joe Egg might be. Everybody has something that makes their life a little bit more difficult and it’s about what you use to help you get through that point.”
Further casting has also been announced with Clarence Smith (The Firm, RSC) and Lucy Eaton (Daisy Pulls It Off, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) completing the company alongside Toby Stephens (Oslo, Lost In Space), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) and Patricia Hodge (Miranda, Downton Abbey).
Producer Howard Panter said: “Storme is a brilliant actor and we are delighted she is joining the company alongside Toby, Claire, Patricia, Lucy and Clarence. At a time when there is so much division and despair in this country, Joe Egg shows that if we find a way to care, we all eventually find redemption.”
Howard also paid tribute to Peter Nichols who sadly passed away earlier this month aged 92. In a statement, Howard said: “Peter was one of British theatre’s greatest writers of the last 60 years.
“As the company rehearse Joe Egg – his funny, moving and perhaps greatest masterpiece – ahead of its West End opening, Peter to his very last was emailing notes and involved in the production as he had always done.
“We are so pleased we have been in rehearsals for long enough for the company to hear from Peter his experience of bringing up his daughter and how that informed Joe Egg. Bringing the authenticity that was a hallmark of Peter’s work.”
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg opens on 21 September for a limited season until 30 November.
