Readings and Workshops
Olly Alexander, Iz Hesketh Join U.K. Industry Reading of Stan Zimmerman's Right Before I Go
Vanessa Williams is leading the London presentation of the suicide awareness play in March.
February 20, 2026 By Logan Culwell-Block
West End favorites Olly Alexander (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Iz Hesketh (Hollyoaks) have completed the cast of the upcoming U.K. industry reading of Stan Zimmerman's suicide awareness play Right Before I Go, set for London's Soho Theatre March 2. Abigail Morris (Colder Than Here) is directing.
Alexander and Hesketh join a previously announced cast that includes Vanessa Williams and her The Devil Wears Prada West End co-star Matt Henry.
"Tackling the shame and stigma around suicide is very important to me and I’m honored to be involved with this project and to work with Stan—someone whose work I have enjoyed immensely over the years," said Alexander in a statement. "Right Before I Go is a deeply moving play and I have huge respect for his commitment to ending the silence around suicide and getting us talking more about mental health."
The work, which premiered at the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival, collects real suicide notes from war veterans, bullied kids, celebrities, and more, ultimately building to a message of hope. A 2025 Off-Broadway run at The Tank featured a rotating cast of stage and screen notables, including Wendie Malick, Patrick Page, Maulik Pancholy, Peppemint, Danny Pintauro, Emily Kuroda, Hill Harper, Pooya Mohseni, Nik Dodani, Ward Horton, Juliana Joel, and Christine Taylor. As in the Off-Broadway run, Zimmerman will perform as the Narrator at the upcoming London reading.
The performance will be followed by a talk back with a local mental health professional. Casting is by Jill Green (War Horse).
Zimmerman has written scripts for TV series including The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Gilmore Girls, and served as executive producer of the 2008 series Rita Rocks. He was also co-writer for the 1996 feature film A Very Brady Sequel. As a director, Zimmerman helmed Off-Broadway's recent Hyprov. He released a memoir, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore, last year.
This performance of Right Before I Go is being licensed by TRWPlays, which also represents Zimmerman's Yes Virginia and Silver Foxes.
For further information, email production coordinator Melanie Cantor at [email protected].
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