Casting announced for Sid and Viv at Theatre503

Casting has been announced for the upcoming production of Sid and Viv at Theatre503.

The debut play by actor Philip Correia, Sid and Viv is about the two titular pensioners and a young lad called Dunney. Dunney doesn't fit in, but feels at home in Sid and Viv's weird house. The play was a runner up in the 2015 Papatango Prize.

Emmerdale actress Charlie Hardwick will lead the cast. Her previous stage work includes Cooking with Elves and Cabaret at the Live Theatre in Newcastle. She will be joined by Patrick Driver, who is currently appearing in A Tale of Two Cities at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and has also appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and BBC series The Office.

The cast also includes Aimee Kelly (Wolfblood), Joe Blakemore (Vera), Ryan Nolan (Neil, Alphabetti Theatre) and Sarah Balfour (Valhalla, Theatre503). Following a run at Theatre503, the production will transfer to Northern Stage in Newcastle.

Correia has appeared in the West End and at the National Theatre, and his television work in The Hunters, Hollyoaks and Doctors. Correia said: "We've gotten so accustomed to the message of division in the UK, we've forgotten how to imagine. We can change the message through inclusion. That's the story of Sid and Viv.

"This play is about community. It's about inclusion and laughter and people. Arts participation in the North East is around 31%. This is a play to change that. Our cast our North Eastern. We're showcasing them in London and then taking them back home."