The Stephen Joseph Theatre returns to the New Vic this month with new drama, The Trial of Romeo Oscar, the 92nd play from one of the UK’s most successful playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn (Earth Angel, Just Between Ourselves, Show & Tell, Constant Champions, Family Album).
On stage from Wednesday 21 October to Saturday 31 October, the play, directed by the author, takes us to the year 2194 where humanity is scattered around the solar system and day-to-day life on Earth looks very different.
Preparations are underway for a landmark legal case. Romeo Oscar, a military issue android, is on trial for murder: the first non-human to be tried in a court of law. The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear, the evidence is polarising and selecting an impartial jury is proving to be a challenge.
This courtroom drama explores a question that artists have been pursuing for centuries – what makes us human?
Alan Ayckbourn’s 92nd play showcases the writer’s ability to create distinctive theatre that entertains whilst also offering a commentary view on the world of today – in this case exploring what the future may hold as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence continues.
The cast of this production includes: Elizabeth Boag (Emmerdale, ITV Studios;; Silent Witness, BBC Studios) as Devaney Dyer; Frances Marshall (Show & Tell, Family Album, Stephen Joseph Theatre and tour) as Allistra Clay; Richard Stacey (Show & Tell, Constant Companions, Stephen Joseph Theatre and tour) as RSDO 83; Leigh Symonds (Season’s Greetings, Show & Tell, Stephen Joseph Theatre and tour) as Assistant Arbiter Octavius; Russell Richardson (Brassed Off, Theatre By The Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Octagon Bolton; Coronation Street, ITV Studios) as Arbiter Jefferies; Hayden Wood (The Play That Goes Wrong, West End; Notes From A Small Island, Watermill) as Ronal Lime-Tyler and Olivia Woolhouse (Noises Off, Show & Tell, Stephen Joseph Theatre and tour) as Hermione Quinque.
Alan Ayckbourn said: “When you reach my age, you really only have the choice as a writer of either looking back or moving forward. At the moment, I’m sort of swinging between past and future with each play. But where we’re going, particularly with AI, is always interesting. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Look at Shakespeare, he went into complete fantasy and was none the worse for that!”
The Trial of Romeo Oscar runs at the New Vic from Wednesday 21 October – Saturday 31 October 2026.Tickets are on sale now priced from £17.50 and can be booked online at newvictheatre.org.uk or by calling the New Vic Box Office on 01782 717962.