We are so excited to announce the cast for the Salisbury Playhouse and New Wolsey Theatre production of Nell Leyshon's new stage adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s chilling tale,Don’t Look Now, directed by Douglas Rintoul.

Mark Jackson (War Horse) and Sophie Robinson (Doctors, Hope Street) lead the production as John and Laura. They are joined by Olivia Carruthers (Killing Eve), Alex Bulmer (See, Apple TV), Kate Męczyńska (Barbie), Alexander Makar (Twenty Twenty Six, BBC), and Salisbury Stage 65 alumnus Richard Emerson Gould (A Chorus of Disapproval).

Director Douglas Rintoul returns to Salisbury following Brief Encounter (2023) and Abigail’s Party (2018). He said:

“We’re thrilled to announce the exceptional cast and creative team for our new stage adaptation of Don’t Look Now by the wonderful Nell Leyshon.”

Don’t Look Now runs at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (9 – 25 October) before transferring to Salisbury Playhouse where it will run from 29 October – 15 November.

Alex Bulmer as Sister 2

Alex is an award-winning blind artist with over 35 years experience working across Canada and the UK. Professionally trained as an actor and voice teacher, Alex has appeared in multiple stage plays in Toronto and London, provided voice for several radio dramas and held roles in many television and feature film productions. She was named best actor for her role as Anna in the short film Awake, played Lady Z in the Apple TV series See and will appear as Eunice in the upcoming feature film Being Heumann. Alex became the first blind woman to take the stage at the Internationally acclaimed Stratford Festival in Ontario, with her leading role of Friar Laurence in an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

Olivia Carruthers as Sister 1

Olivia was born in Lancashire and moved to London in 1973, where she remained until 11 years ago when she and her husband moved to the village of Long Melford in Suffolk. So, she is delighted to be making her debut appearance at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.

Theatre credits include: Birth Stories (Colour House Theatre, Wimbledon); Barefoot in the Park (Frinton Summer Theatre); The Secret Garden (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds); Agatha (Pleasance Theatre, London); Man in the Middle (Theatre 503); Pat and Margaret (New Vic Theatre, Staffs); Cinderella (Library Theatre, Manchester); Life After George ( Duchess Theatre, West End); Julius Caesar (Baron’s Court Theatre); The Wizard of Oz, The Odyssey, Yoshi and the Teakettle, Puff the Magic Dragon, The Giants Baby and other shows (Polka Theatre, Wimbledon); Female Parts (Great Northern Theatre); Intimate Exchanges, What the Butler Saw and Twelfth Night (Eye Theatre).

TV includes: Life (BBC); Pennyworth (Starzplay); Killing Eve (BBC); Four Weddings and a Funeral miniseries (Hulu/MGM); Emmerdale (ITV); Eastenders (BBC); Doctors (BBC) Coronation Street (ITV); Joe’s Palace (BBC); Cutting It (BBC); In a Land of Plenty (BBC).

Film includes: 5lbs of Pressure (now on Prime Video); Stardust; The Storm; Ashes to Ashes.

Richard Emerson Gould as Police Chief/Musician

Richard's work in theatre includes: Hamlet, A Man of No Importance, Teechers, Killed July 17th 1916, Meg & Mog Show and Wessex Days at Salisbury Playhouse; Dombey & Son and Lady Windermere’s Fan at Royal & Derngate, Northampton; The Beggar’s Opera,A View from the Bridge, Romeo and Juliet,A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jane Eyre and Sleuth, at Queen’s, Hornchurch; Love Cardiff at Sherman, Cardiff; Absurd Person Singular, Bedroom Farce, Joking Apart, The Man of The Moment, Taking Steps, The Winslow Boy, Great Expectations, Charley’s Aunt and Hobson’s Choice at Southwold, Aldeburgh and Bury St Edmunds with Jill Freud and Company; Pickwick at Basingstoke Haymarket; further regional repertory at Watford Palace, Colchester Mercury and Harrogate Theatre; Twelfth Night for Shakespeare in the Squares; Romeo and Juliet with Midsummer Scene and Uncle Maroye at Marin Drżič Theatre in Dubrovnik; The Lie for Vienna’s English Theatre; Montiverdi's Il ritorno d'ulisse in patria with Salon Sanctuary at La Pietra in Florence; Major Barbara at W 52nd St, New York; The Country Wife and The Threepenny Opera with Forest Forge; The First Man and Fog at Jermyn Street; The Vaudevillains with Les Enfants Terribles; Manhattan Parisienne at The Other Palace; How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying at Wilton’s Music Hall; Chess with ENO and A Chorus of Disapproval in the West End; Alterations at The National Theatre. Film includes, The Last Photograph and Not for Sale.

The best thing Richard ever did was join Stage 65, the Salisbury Playhouse Youth Theatre. Happy Anniversary Stage 65 and thank you.

Mark Jackson as John

Mark Jackson trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

He has most recently appeared in feature Forever Young (Dark Matter Studios), after completing three seasons of The Orville as artificial life form Isaac (Hulu/Disney+).

His other screen credits include The Royal Today (ITV) and Lost In The Sky (Kojan Film).

On stage, he’s toured internationally as 87-year-old waiter Alfie in One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre), played Captain Stewart in War Horse (National Theatre/West End) and attempted to murder Robert Powell in Black Coffee (Bill Kenwright).

His other theatre credits include Noises Off (Old Vic), Shout! (West End), I Am a Camera (Rosemary Branch) and four seasons with Southwold Rep.

Alexander Makar as Waiter/Restaurant Proprietor/Policeman

With no prior experience, Alexander Makar went on to study Acting (BA Hons) at Arts University Bournemouth, graduating with a singular lead role in dir. Iqbal Khan’s Imaam Imran (national youth theatre, Bradford literature festival). He has recently finished his MFA in Acting at the prestigious LAMDA drama school after being awarded The Carne Scholarship. Recent credits include Twenty Twenty Six (BBC), Primary Playwright (Soho Theatre), Total War: Pharaoh (Creative Assembly, voice-over) and You Bury Me (National Theatre, R&D).

Kate Męczyńska as Clerk

Kate Męczyńska is a Polish actress and character artist delighted to be performing at New Wolsey theatre in Ipswich this autumn. 

Kate's background was in TV news production where she gained specialised knowledge of the Television industry. 

After moving in to London ten years ago, Kate has joined the acting agency Oh So Small productions where she was able to make a start on her acting career. Since then she secured the work on many film and television productions including Disappearance of Josef Mengele; Andoor 2; Barbie, Fantastic Beasts: The secrets of Dumbledore or The Witcher: Blood origin. 

Kate is also working in socially progressive theatre projects bringing underrepresented performers and artists to mainstream events. 

Sophie Robinson as Laura

Theatre includes: Yerma (Tinderbox Theatre); Miss Julie, The Suicide (Storyhouse/New Earth); 1984, All Mod Cons (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); The Yalta Game, The Father, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (The Gate Theatre, Dublin); Electric Dreams (Dumbshow); Twelfth Night (Abbey Theatre); The Seagull, The Heretic (Library Theatre); Beyond Beauty (Rebel Theatre); Lady in the Van (Hull Truck); Junoand the Paycock (National Theatre/Abbey Theatre).

Television includes: Hope Street (BBC NI), Doctors (BBC), Rebellion, The Good Christians Women’s Writing Group (RTE).

Radio includes: Nora Webster, Words and Music, Mayday (BBC)