A CAST of four - including two performers making their professional stage debuts - will kickstart a new season of plays at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre.

The first production of 2022 is Vinay Patel’s critically acclaimed production An Adventure which follows the journey of a husband and wife as they leave India in the 1950s in search of a better, more exciting future.

Director Kash Arshad said: “Having the chance to work on a play that deals with so much of the history of the South Asian community in this country, as well as that of my own family is one I’m really relishing.

“I’m so excited to get started working with Vinay’s script, which is so compelling, heartfelt and truthful.

“We have an amazing group of actors lined up, as well as a stellar creative team who I can’t wait to work with to bring this epic, intimate, funny and heartbreakingly beautiful play to life.”

The husband and wife, Rasik and Jyoti, will be played by Esh Alladi and Saba Shiraz. Esh starred in the Octagon’s 2019 First Bites play reading, Family Trees. and has also appeared in Hobson’s Choice at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. An Adventure marks Saba’s professional stage debut.

Joining Esh and Saba is Manchester actor Daon Broni as David. Daon’s recent credits include voicing Nowt Worth More Than Sand (one of the Octagon’s One Night in Bolton monologues)and Macbeth at the Royal Exchange.

Completing the cast and also making her professional stage debut at the Octagon will be young performer, Jesscia Kaur who will play the parts of Sonal and Joy.

Follow Rasik and Jyoti as they as they leave Ahmedabad, India and navigate political tensions in 1950s Kenya and the turbulence of first-generation life in Britain in the 1960s and beyond.

An Adventure was written by Vinay Patel, whose writing credits also include Doctor Who and Murdered By My Father, both for the BBC.

This production will be directed by Kash Arshad and designed by 2019 Linbury Prize winner TK Hay. The Linbury Prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for Stage Design – providing a unique opportunity for graduating designers to work with professional theatre, dance and opera companies.

The creative team for An Adventure also includes lighting and video design by Simeon Miller, sound design by Annie May Fletcher, movement direction by Jennifer Kay, video content by Grant Archer and assistant direction by Jameela Khan.

An Adventure will hopefully mark the start of the first full season of work at the Octagon since a multi-million pound makeover which saw improvements to many of the public areas at the theatre.

An Adventure is at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, from Friday, February 4 to Saturday, February 26. Details from www.octagonbolton.co.uk