Soho Theatre today announces the cast for THE VIRGINS by Miriam Battye (Strategic Love Play, Succession), and directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Paradise Now!, Grud), an exciting new play following a group of teenage friends as they prepare for a big night out. Performing in the play are: Zoë Armer as Anya, Alec Boaden as Mel, Ella Bruccoleri as Jess, Anushka Chakravarti as Chloe, Molly Hewitt-Richards as Phoebe, and Ragevan Vasan as Joel.
Directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart, THE VIRGINS will be staged in Soho Theatre’s Main House next year, 29 January to 7 March. Press Night: Thursday 5 February.
Also announced today, THE VIRGINS creative team are:
- Set and Costume Designer: Rosie Elnile
- Lighting Designer: Bethany Gupwell
- Sound Designer: Anna Clock
- Casting Director: Polly Jerrold
- Intimacy Director: Raniah Al-Sayed
- Costume Supervisor: Megan Rarity
- Production Manager: Davin Patrick for The Production Family
- Production Wellbeing Support: Artist Wellbeing
- Executive Producer: David Luff
“There’s a boy in my living room. I’m not prepared for this.”
Friday night. Four girls. Two boys. Alone in a house. Some of them are in love. Most of them are virgins. Everyone’s pretending they know what they’re doing.
Tonight’s the night they stop pretending.
This is Miriam Battye’s (Strategic Love Play, Succession) The Virgins: a funny and devastating fever dream of desire and teenagerhood, directed by Olivier-nominated Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Paradise Now!, Grud, The Glass Menagerie).
Miriam Battye’s The Virgins is part of a season of in-house produced new writing in Soho Theatre’s Main House that started with the current production of Eoin McAndrew’s Verity Bargate Award-winning and critically-acclaimed Little Brother, David Ireland’s Most Favoured, Sarah Power’s Welcome to Pemfort and Dave Harris’s Tender.
Praise for STRATEGIC LOVE PLAY
‘Miriam Battye’s comedic tour de force’
★★★★ The Guardian
‘Effervescent and thoroughly unpredictable’
★★★★ The Times
‘Battye’s writing, too, is endlessly surprising and flexible’
★★★★ Evening Standard
‘Ferociously good’
★★★★ The Stage
-ENDS-
NOTES FOR EDITORS
For further information, tickets, interviews, images…: press@sohotheatre.com
PRAISE FROM ARTISTS AS SOHO THEATRE MARKS 25 YEARS IN 2025
Ryan Calais Cameron: ‘Soho Theatre was a major launchpad for me, it helped nurture my voice through the Writers’ Lab, gave my play Typical its first stage, and took Queens of Sheba from Dean Street to New York. It’s where my stories first found their rhythm and their reach.’
Poppy Jay: ‘[Soho Theatre] is embracing of talent and people from other backgrounds. It’s completely different to how I always imagined theatre spaces to be.’
Bryony Kimmings: ‘It’s an extraordinary space for people whose work is genre-pushing… They never say no. They trust you to be creative. It’s managed to establish a mark of quality and experimentalism. It feels like if you’re there, you’re original, you’re good quality.’
Jack Rooke: ‘It’s always been good at taking a risk on new talent and not just following where the buzz is.’
Prashasti Singh: ‘It’s surreal that I was aware of Soho Theatre as this very elite and prestigious venue. It was this fancy thing in my head where really big artists perform and it’s very classy, so on Monday when I came here and I saw my face on the entrance of Soho Theatre, I could have never imagined this day – it’s such a big deal and it’s such an honour. It’s great how life works sometimes.’
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: ‘Soho Theatre has a genuinely experimental, risk-taking attitude. It’s one of the only theatres that consistently puts on provocative work from lesser-known writers and performers and encourages them to be original. I’ve seen some of the best work of my life in those spaces.’
SOHO THEATRE is London’s most vibrant producer for new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Our central London venue in Soho is celebrating 25 years as one of the UK’s busiest with a buzzing bar, lively audiences and an entertaining year-round festival programme with a queer, punk, counter-culture flavour. Our second London venue SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW opened in May 2025, bringing our vibrant programme to its biggest stage yet. Work extends beyond our venues with a full touring programme and connections with New York, Melbourne and Mumbai. Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a huge part of our year, we present many shows and scout hundreds more and we are the UK’s leading presenter of comedians from India. Our filmed comedy specials can be seen on international airlines and online. And our artist development and participation programmes are as important as the work on our stages. Soho Theatre is a charitably-owned social enterprise; with annual audiences projected to increase to over 400,000 this year, turnover to exceed £11m and strong international links, it makes a positive contribution to growth in creative industries and UK soft power. sohotheatre.com / @sohotheatre.
CAST
ZOË ARMER (Anya)
Zoë graduated from LAMDA in 2021.
Her theatre credits include; THE SUPPLIANT WOMEN (Manchester Royal Exchange), GARGANTUA (Salford Lowry) and ON SONGBIRDS WINGS (Bolton Octagon).
On screen, Zoe has worked on a number of major TV series: SO AWKWARD (CBBC), CASUALTY (BBC), EMMERDALE (ITV) and EASTENDERS (BBC); as well as independent films: VOIDANCE (Marianna Dean), TRUTH SERUM (Enfant Terribles) and MISCONCEPTIONS (Marianna Dean).
THE VIRGINS marks her Soho Theatre debut.
ALEC BOADEN (Mel)
Alec is a native Nottingham actor and a recent graduate of Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Before graduating, Alec was cast in his first professional theatre production, James Graham’s PUNCH (★★★★ in The Guardian and The Telegraph) which transferred to the Young Vic in London and has now opened in the West End. Alec also recently played a supporting lead in for the stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s novel NOUGHTS + CROSSES at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Alec trained from a young age at Nottingham’s prestigious Television Workshop. His television credits include MASTERS OF THE AIR on Apple TV+.
ELLA BRUCCOLERI (Jess)
Ella has recently wrapped on the lead role of Mary Bennet in the upcoming BBC/Britbox period drama THE OTHER BENNET SISTER.
Recent film credits include BANK OF DAVE 2, PADDINGTON IN PERU and Netflix’s JOY.
Ella has extensive credits across film and television including the new horror trilogy THE STRANGERS, BBC’s CALL THE MIDWIFE, ITV’s PASSENGER and THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE , BBC’s LUDWIG, Disney+’s EXTRAORDINARY, Netflix’s THE LAST KINGDOM and the third series of BRIDGERTON, as well as Alibi’s BOOKISH.
She recently wrapped as the lead role opposite Hugh Bonneville and Michael Socha in the comedy feature GO AWAY!
Ella can currently be seen as a series regular in Apple’s DOWN CEMETERY ROAD and in 2026 look out for the indie feature WICKER with Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Debicki and Alexander Skarsgard.
ANUSHKA CHAKRAVARTI (Chloe)
Anushka Chakravarti trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and studied at Oxford University.
Stage credits include: POOR CLARE (Orange Tree Theatre); CORIOLANUS, THE CRUCIBLE and OUR GENERATION (National Theatre), and THE DIVINE MRS S (Hampstead Theatre).
Television credits include: ANDOR (Disney+); PEACOCK and JERK (BBC Three); and CALL THE MIDWIFE S15 (BBC One, PBS).
Film credits: GHOSTWRITER (Warner Bros. Pictures).
MOLLY HEWITT-RICHARDS (Phoebe)
Molly Hewitt-Richards trained at Italia Conti.
Stage credits include: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Bridge Theatre) and THE SECRET GARDEN (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).
Television credits include: CODE OF SILENCE (ITV) and CASUALTY (BBC).
RAGEVAN VASAN (Joel)
Ragevan is a three time Off-West End Awards nominee.
Ragevan can be seen as Felzonis in ANDOR (Disney+) and Gavin in Sky Atlantics’ SAVE ME. Other television roles include CUFFS (BBC), FORTITUDE (Sky) and THE STATE (Channel 4).
His previous theatre credits include LITTLE SCRATCH (New Diorama Theatre and Hampstead Theatre); THE ANIMAL KINGDOM (Hampstead Theatre); NAME, PLACE, ANIMAL, THING (Almeida); LIVING NEWSPAPER (Royal Court); I WANNA BE YOURS (Bush Theatre); THE VILLAGE (Stratford East); LOVE FOR LOVE (RSC) and HURLING RUBBLE AT THE SUN (Park Theatre).
Ragevan’s film credits include: DUMBO(dir: Tim Burton), WALK LIKE A PANTHER, THE LAST WITNESS and DAPHNE.
Ragevan trained with the NYT REP Company.
CREATIVES
MIRIAM BATTYE – Writer
Miriam Battye is a writer from Manchester.
For theatre, credits include STRATEGIC LOVE PLAY (Paines Plough/Soho Theatre), SCENES WITH GIRLS (Royal Court), and FIND A PARTNER! (National Theatre Connections).
For television her credits include SUCCESSION (HBO), DEAD RINGERS (Amazon), and the upcoming THE HUSBANDS for Apple/A24. For film her credits include the upcoming EXTRA GEOGRAPHY for Film4/BFI/Screen Yorkshire.
JAZ WOODCOCK-STEWART – Director
Jaz is a Director working in Theatre and Screen.
Her production of PARADISE NOW! (Bush Theatre) was nominated for an Olivier Award. She has been nominated for Best Director at the Off West End Awards for her productions of MULTIPLE CASUALTY INCIDENT (Yard Theatre) and PARADISE NOW! (Bush Theatre). Her production CIVILISATION (JWScompany), a collaboration with choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple won the Jury Prize at Fast Forward Festival (2021), the European festival for young directors at Dresden Staatschauspiel. It was also selected for Radikal Jung in Munich (2022).
Theatre work as Director includes: GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (Deutches National Theater Weimar); THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Theater Basel); THE ATTEMPTS (JWScompany); GRUD (Hampstead Theatre); MULTIPLE CASUALTY INCIDENT (Yard Theatre), JASON MEDEA MEDLEY (Dresden Staatschauspiel); PARADISE NOW! (Bush Theatre); ELECTRIC ROSARY (Manchester Royal Exchange); GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (Unicorn); CIVILISATION (UK and International Tour); SOMETHING NEW (Thomas Bernhard Institut); LANDS (Bush Theatre); IF I WERE ME (Soho Theatre); LEARNING PIECE (The Place); DAYS LIKE THIS (BAC/BeFestival).
Selected Associate/Assistant work includes: ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE (Duke of York’s); ALL ABOUT EVE (Noel Coward); NETWORK (National Theatre); LAZARUS (King’s Cross Theatre); ADLER AND GIBB (Royal Court/Tour).
She is a Resident this year with House Productions.
She trained on the National Theatre Studio Directors Course, East 15 Acting School and Dartington College of Arts.
Social handles: @jazwoodstew on Instagram