An Oak Tree adds Suranne Jones, Reece Shearsmith and more to rotating unrehearsed cast
Suranne Jones, Reece Shearsmith and Hugh Skinner have joined the rotating cast of An Oak Tree at The Other Palace.
Tim Crouch's play runs from 5 October to 15 November 2026. Crouch performs at every show opposite a different guest actor, WhatsOnStage reported on 2 October.
There is a catch. Each guest steps on stage without having read or rehearsed the play beforehand. Crouch, the writer and constant on-stage presence, guides them through it live.
The newest round of dates covers late October and early November. Josh Finan is booked for the matinee on 17 October. Tanya Reynolds takes the evening performance on 24 October. Dónal Finn follows on 1 November, with Hugh Skinner on 4 November and Reece Shearsmith on 6 November.
Suranne Jones closes the sequence on 15 November. That date is the final performance of the run. Full casting for the six-week season was announced in late September, WestEndTheatre reported.
The theatre's own listings also name Rosalie Craig for 9 October and Olivia Williams for 10 October. Both dates fall in the opening week. The venue carries those names on its show page, The Other Palace.
Fifty pence from each ticket goes to a new writing development fund at The Other Palace. The venue says the money supports that fund. It is built into the ticket price rather than added as an optional donation.
For anyone new to the format, the set-up needs little translation. One performer knows every line and cue. The other knows nothing in advance. The audience watches the play get assembled in front of them, with prompts, instructions and improvisation doing the work of rehearsal.
What makes this stand out is the risk. Pick a night and you pick a pairing. Come back a week later and the same framework will play differently because a different guest is inside it. No two nights are the same.
For fans, this means the date matters as much as the title. If you want a particular pairing, book by the guest name on the theatre's listings. If you go twice, you will see two different actors solve the same problem live.
