SEASON 2026

Cyrano De Bergerac

Freely adapted by Martin Crimp after Edmond Rostand

13 - 28 February 2026
fortyfivedownstairs

Synopsis

Cyrano is a brilliant soldier and poet, feared for his wit and admired for his intelligence, yet deeply insecure about his appearance. Convinced he is unlovable, he channels his eloquence into helping the handsome but inarticulate Christian woo Roxane, the woman Cyrano loves. Through letters and whispered speeches, Cyrano becomes the unseen author of another man’s romance, crafting declarations of love that are as dazzling as they are self-sacrificing.

As war looms and alliances fracture, the cost of living behind language becomes increasingly stark. Cyrano’s brilliance both empowers and imprisons him, and the words that give others pleasure ultimately deny him happiness. When the truth is finally revealed, it arrives too late to undo the damage.

The Cast

  • Mark Yeates

    Cyrano

  • Cazz Bainbridge

    Roxanne

  • Callum O’Malley

    Christian

  • Annabelle Tudor

    Leila

  • Louis Lucente

    De Guiche

  • Bushu Fan Chol

    Le Bret

  • Dion Zapantis

    Ligniere

  • Dominic Gruenewald

    Montfleury / Priest / Ensemble

  • Jasper Mclorinan

    Valvert / Ensemble

  • Enya Daly

    Theatre Owner / Ensemble / Movement Coordinator

  • Eli Carasso

    Ensemble / Montfleury Alternate

  • Mikaela Cummins

    Marie-Louise / Usher / Ensemble

  • Ethan Larkins

    Referee / Man / Ensemble

  • Siëm Putland

    Denise / Ensemble

  • Jen Bush

    Woman / Ensemble / Leila Alternate

  • Samuel Arandez

    Ensemble

  • Harry Harris

    Ensemble

  • Charlie Veitch

    Ensemble

Creatives

Director/Co-Producer Matthew Cox

Producer/Company Manager Sarah Cuthbert

Co-Producer Mark Yeates

Assistant Director Rebecca Stephens

Costume Designer Dylan Lumsden

Set Designer Ash Reid

Lighting Designer Tim Bonser

Sound Designer Sebastian Herrera

Praise for Cyrano De Bergerac

  • “Thrillingly elevates the poetry of the original”

    ★★★★ — LIMELIGHT

  • "This bold production is a bare-chested, knife-wielding, testosterone-drenched deconstruction of a classic”

    ★★★★ — THE AGE

  • “An epic dismantling of traditional masculine ideals”

    ★★★★ — THE AGE