A new revival of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing opened at The Old Vic in London September 3, and the reviews are in. Performances are set to continue through October 26, with Max Webster (Life of Pi) directing.
James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, Angels in America) and Bel Powley (The Morning Show) are starring as Henry and Annie, respectively, sharing the stage with Oliver Johnstone as Max, Susan Wokoma as Charlotte, Jack Ambrose as Brodie, Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran as Billy, and Karise Yansen as Debbie. Understudies Daniel Baskharoun, Peter Eastland, Oyin Orija, and Mahaila Palmer round out the company. Casting is by Jessica Ronane.
Exploring the sometimes fleeting nature of reality, The Real Thing centers on a married playwright and actor at work together on a play. The work premiered in London in 1982, winning an Evening Standard Award for Best Play; and won the Best Play Tony Award for its 1984 Broadway outing. The play has become one of Stoppard's most popular, with revivals on Broadway in 2000 and 2014, and many stagings in London as well.
Read the reviews below.
London Theatre (Marianka Swain)
TimeOut London (Andrzej Lukowski)
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Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production, presented in association with Simon Friend Entertainment, features set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, lighting design by Richard Howell, sound design by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, and movement by Chi-San Howard. Rebecca James is company stage manager, with Surenee Somchit as deputy stage manager and Bella Kelaidi as assistant stage manager.
Tickets are available at OldVicTheatre.com.
