Judi Dench, Catherine Tate among cast of TV play

Channel 4 in partnership with the Donmar Warehouse, is to broadcast live on More4 election play The Vote in a TV first.

Set in a fictional London polling station, Josie Rourke’s production of The Vote by James Graham, dramatises the final ninety minutes before the polls close in this year’s General Election. On that exact day, May 7, at that precise time 8.30 – 10pm, the play will be broadcast live on More4 from the Donmar stage

An ensemble cast of actors will represent the team of polling station volunteers, polling officers, and the diverse array of characters that are the voting public, featuring Judi Dench, Mark Gatiss, Bill Paterson, Catherine Tate, Timothy West, Nina Sosanya, Rachel Denning, Hadley Fraser, Llewella Gideon, Alice Hewkin, Kadiff Kirwan, Aïcha Kossoko, Wanda Opalinska, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Yusra Warsama, Fisayo Akinade, Madalena Alberto, Jade Anouka, Nicholas Burns, Paul Chahidi, Jackie Clune, Pandora Colin, Rosalie Craig, Heather Craney and Finty Williams.

Josie Rourke, Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director and The Vote Director, said: “Broadcast live to the nation on the night of the General Election, this is a unique opportunity for the Donmar to make a small theatre feel very big. Some of the nation’s greatest actors are coming together this election night to give theatre a seat at the table of a national event. Everyone involved is approaching this experiment with a sense of adventure. To work with a playwright and company of this calibre and significance on such a bold project is a dream come true.

When James Graham and I collaborated on Privacy, we were attempting something no-one had tried before. This is our next step in pushing the boundaries of how theatre speaks to audiences in a brave, new and popular language about the times in which we live. This huge acting company will be portraying a ninety minute slice of our nation as it goes to the polls. The scale and scope of this incredible company of actors is going to make this a very special event. This is the first time Judi Dench has been back on the Donmar stage since 1976. To have her at the heart of this incredible company of actors makes this great event a total joy.”

John Hay, Commissioning Editor for Arts, Channel 4 said: “Lots of channels make programmes about artists, but at Channel 4 we try to give artists the chance to make programmes about us. The Vote is a major step forward in that long tradition. Josie told me when we first began talking about it we’d have a wonderful cast, but I’m still delighted and more than a little star-struck by the list. I’m hugely grateful to them for joining forces with her to realise James’ brilliant script, and to Twofour for bringing it to the screen in such an innovative way.

The Vote will air live on More4 on 7th May at 8.30pm.