Gaynor Faye and son Oliver Anthony join the cast of Kay Mellor’s The Syndicate as Max George withdraws

Gaynor Faye (Calendar Girls) and her son, Oliver Anthony (My Left Nut) are set to join the cast of The Syndicate, written by Faye’s mother and Anthony’s grandmother, the late Kay Mellor.

Directed by Faye in her directorial debut, the world premiere stage adaptation will launch a UK tour at Richmond Theatre next month.

Faye commented: “I’m thrilled to be joining Brooke Vincent, Samantha Giles and the rest of this stellar cast on stage. The Syndicate is very close to my heart for so many reasons and it’s fitting that this production is a real family affair, as we welcome Oliver to the company too. I know that he will make an amazing addition to the cast.”

Anthony added: “Having acted in series four of The Syndicate TV show and worked with my grandmother, playing the role of Jamie, in development workshops of the play, I’m chuffed to bits to be making my stage acting debut alongside my mum in my grandmother’s final play. This production is in honour of her and all she achieved and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the character of Jamie and hopefully doing her proud.“

Max George (The Wanted, Glee), previously announced in the cast, has had to withdraw from the production due to unforeseen medical reasons.

Alongside Vincent (Coronation Street) and Giles (Emmerdale), the company also includes Rosa Coduri-Fulford, Jade Golding, William Ilkley, Jerome Ngonadi, Benedict Shaw and Connor James-Ryan.

The Syndicate, written by Mellor just before her untimely passing in 2022, is based on her popular BBC One drama series that spanned four seasons. It recounts the tale of five supermarket employees who find themselves with winning lottery syndicate numbers just as their jobs and financial stability hang in the balance.

As Kay Mellor’s final stage endeavor, The Syndicate follows in the footsteps of her previous successful adaptations, including Fat Friends – The Musical and Band of Gold.

Produced by Rollem and Josh Andrews Productions, in association with JAS Theatricals, The Syndicate will tour various locations across the UK, opening in Richmond (11 to 13 April), before visiting Mellor’s hometown of Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle, New Brighton, Salford, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Birmingham, Glasgow, Hull, Bradford and Cardiff.

Faye will not be appearing in Shrewsbury, Birmingham and Hull.

Tickets for select dates are on sale below.