A THRILLING new production of Thérèse Raquin starring Alison Steadman, Pippa Nixon, Desmond Barrit, Kieran Bew, Michael Mears, Charlotte Mills and Hugh Skinner will be on stage at Malvern Theatres from Monday until Saturday, August 23.

Directed by Jonathan Munby, this new version of Emile Zola’s passionate love story is by multi-award-winning writer Helen Edmundson, who has received acclaim for her work with the RSC, the National Theatre and Shared Experience. Written in 1867, Zola’s Thérèse Raquin is a story of lust, madness and destruction set within the backstreets of Paris. Married off according to her domineering aunt’s wishes, the beautiful heroine becomes trapped in a loveless marriage to her cousin, Camille. Every Thursday evening she watches her aunt, Madame Raquin, play dominoes, until one day Camille brings along an old friend, the alluring and athletic Laurent. As he and Thérèse embark on an illicit affair, a turbulent passion is unleashed, sealing their fate with devastating consequences.

Pippa Nixon, who plays Thérèse, has given many highly acclaimed performances for the Royal Shakespeare Company including Titania in Nancy Meckler's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Rosalind in Maria Aberg's As You Like It, and Ophelia in David Farr's Hamlet. One of the country’s best-loved and most prolific actresses, Alison Steadman plays Madame Raquin. Her recent television roles include playing Pamela in the multi-award winning BBC comedy series Gavin and Stacey, and Rose in The Syndicate, and she will soon be seen in a new BBC sitcom, Grey Mates. Olivier-award-winning actor Desmond Barrit's numerous roles include Alan Bennett’s The History Boys and The Habit of Art at the National Theatre.

Thérèse Raquin will be at Malvern Theatres from Monday until Saturday, August 23. To book, call the box office on 01684 892277 or visit malvern-theatres.co.uk