Full Cast Confirmed for Old Vic's Reimagined Martin Guerre
The Old Vic has confirmed the full cast for a radically reworked version of Martin Guerre, the rarely produced musical by Les Misérables creators Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. The production runs from 1 to 31 October 2026 as a five-week limited run, with press night on 20 October. WhatsOnStage
Liv Andrusier will play Bertrande, the woman at the heart of the story. Alex James-Hatton and Shane O'Riordan share the role of Martin, with Dan Hand as Young Martin and Bethan Louise Honer as Young Bertrande. Colin Ryan plays Benoit, with Eli McFarland as Young Benoit. Barney Wilkinson takes on Guillaume, with Oliver Payne as Young Guillaume. The principal cast is rounded out by Mathew Craig as Pierre, Adam Pearce as Father Dominic, Aaron Lee Lambert as the Judge and Caroline Sheen as Madame de Rols.
The ensemble features Monique Ashe-Palmer, Mali Wen Davies, Daniel Forrester, Grace Galloway, Chris Jenkins and Gabriella Stylianou. Becca Francis and Nathaniel Purnell serve as swings — performers who cover multiple roles and step in as needed. WhatsOnStage
Matthew Warchus, who steps down as the Old Vic's artistic director in September 2026 after an 11-year tenure, develops and directs the production. The staging is semi-staged and in-the-round, with set and costume design by Rob Howell and choreography by Lizzi Gee. WhatsOnStage
The new version features new music, lyrics and folk-inflected orchestrations. New lyrics are by Alain Boublil, Annabel Mutale Reed and Paul Hodge. WhatsOnStage
Steven Warchus's assistant director is Jennifer Lane Baker, with Stuart Winter as associate director and Campbell Young Associates handling associate choreography. Casting is by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting. Old Vic
Martin Guerre premiered in 1996 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London and later underwent several major revisions. The show is based on the 16th-century French story of a soldier who returns to his village, only for his identity to be questioned. It won an Olivier Award but has been staged far less frequently than Schönberg and Boublil's other hits. The Old Vic describes this version as a reimagined, semi-staged production newly infused with folk music. WhatsOnStage; The Stage
The production sits inside Warchus's final season as artistic director. When the run was first announced in June 2026, full casting was still to be confirmed. The complete company has now been set. The Stage; West End Theatre
