First photos released of Cranford, led by Tamsin Greig, at the Orange Tree

The pictures, taken by Marc Brenner, show the production in performance at the Richmond theatre, where it began its run on 3 November. Tamsin Greig leads the company as Matty Jenkyns, and Cranford continues until 16 January 2027.

The script is by Lin Coghlan and Shaun McKenna, who devised the adaptation together with its director, Josh Roche; the three have collaborated before, on a stage version of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga. Their source on this occasion is Gaskell's novel of 1853, set in a small town in the 1840s where custom and gossip govern a close circle of formidable women, and where the arrival of the wider world tests old friendships, lost loves and the habits of a lifetime.

The company was completed in September, when Sara Crowe and Alexandra Gilbreath joined Tamsin Greig in the cast. Sara Crowe plays Mrs Forester, Abigail Cruttenden doubles as Deborah Jenkyns and Lady Glenmire, Saffron Dey is Martha and the young Matty, Alexandra Gilbreath is Miss Pole, Sara Powell is Mrs Jamieson and Phoebe Pryce is Eliza Cleghorn. Jonny Glynn takes the older Peter, Signor Brunoni, Mr Johnson, the Rev Jenkyns and Mulliner; Michael Lumsden plays Tom Holbrook, Dr Hoggins and Dobson; and Robert Merriam is Jem Hearn and the young Peter.

Set and costumes are designed by Natalie Johnson, with lighting by Jamie Platt and sound and original music by Max Pappenheim. Patrice Bowler is movement director, Simon Money is voice and dialect coach, Jacob Sparrow is casting consultant and Richard Pinner is magic consultant.

Evening performances begin at 8pm, with matinees at 4pm on Thursdays and Saturdays; the press performance on Friday 13 November starts earlier, at 7pm. The production has a running time of two hours and 25 minutes.

Production photos from Cranford at the Orange Tree

For more information, visit the official website.