Lucy Benjamin, who is best known for playing Lisa Fowler in EastEnders and Maggie in the BBC Four series Detectorists, has been cast in the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon. This family drama will run at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from Thursday, March 14, to Saturday, March 30.

In Basildon sees the actress return to the theatre after performing in Deadly Murder at the Queen’s Theatre in 2015.

She will be joined by Peter Bray (Much Ado About Nothing, Rose Theatre Kingston); Patrick Driver (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, West End); Emily Houghton (The Lorax, Old Vic Theatre); Beverley Klein (Les Misérables, Royal Shakespeare Company) Peter Temple (Boy, Almeida Theatre) and Connie Walker (Trestle, Southwark Playhouse). Completing the cast are David Hemsted (White Gold, BBC Two) and Charlotte Law (Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Royal Stratford East) who were cast through the theatre’s open audition process to find local actors.

Written by the award-winning Romford playwright David Eldridge, this explosively knotty drama is being brought back to its roots after a 2012 premiere at the Royal Court Theatre.

Len is a die-hard West Ham supporter who proudly made a career at Ford Dagenham. Now he’s on his deathbed with the nearest and dearest gathered to say goodbye. His sisters, slogging away on the checkouts at Asda Romford and Tesco Basildon, haven’t spoken in 20 years. Over a ham sandwich spread, the banter soon flows and old animosities emerge as it’s time to read the will.

In Basildon launches the Queen’s Theatre’s Essex on Stage programme, a new two year programme that champions the positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London.

Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1QT, Thursday, March 14, to Saturday, March 30. Details: 01708 443333 queens-theatre.co.uk