Casting Announced for THE REAL THING

Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Cambridge Arts Theatre and Rose Theatre Kingston are delighted to announce full casting for Tom Stoppard's poignant classic The Real Thing, directed by Stephen Unwin, which today began rehearsals ahead of its limited UK tour from 6 September.

As previously announced Laurence Fox will star as Henry in the production. He will be joined by Adam Jackson-Smith as Max, Rebecca Johnson as Charlotte, SanTino Smith as Brodie, Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Annie, Venice van Someren as Debbie and Kit Young as Billy.

The production will open on Wednesday 6 September in Cambridge before touring to co-producing venues Bath and Kingston, with national press night on Wednesday 20 September at Theatre Royal Bath. It will then visit Malvern, Edinburgh, Brighton and Guildford.

Henry is the smartest and sharpest playwright of his generation. His wife, Charlotte, an actress has been appearing in a play by Henry about a couple whose marriage is on the verge of collapse. Max, her leading man, is also married to an actress, Annie. When Henry's affair with Annie threatens to destroy his own marriage, he realises life has started imitating art. But are they really in love? Is it the real thing?

Laurence Fox is best known for his role as DS James Hathaway for seven series of Lewis. Other television roles include A Room With A View and Wired with film credits including Gosford Park and Becoming Jane. Fox's theatre credits include Strangers on a Train (Gielgud Theatre) and Our Boys (Duchess Theatre).

Adam Jackson-Smith recently starred in The Dresser (UK Tour; Duke of York's) alongside Ken Stott and Reece Shearsmith. Other stage credits include The First Man (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre).

Rebecca Johnson's extensive theatre credits include All Our Children (Jermyn Street Theatre), Present Laughter (Theatre Royal Bath), Wendy and Peter (RSC) and Twelfth Night (Sheffield Theatres / ETT).

SanTino Smith trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama where credits included All That I am, The Narrative, The Rover and The Taming of the Shrew.

Flora Spencer-Longhurst's stage credits include A Christmas Truce and Much Ado About Nothing & Love's Labour's Lost (RSC), Once (Phoenix Theatre) and Titus Andronicus (Globe Theatre).

Venice van Someren most recently starred in Gabriel (UK Tour). Other credits include Can't Stand Up for Falling Down (Theatre N16), Punk Rock (Theatro Technis) and The Cherry Orchard (Boris Shchukin Institute).

Kit Young recently graduated from RADA where credits included The Oresteia, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Tom Stoppard is a multi-award winning playwright with many notable plays including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, The Hard Problem and The Invention of Love. Stoppard also co-wrote Shakespeare in Love which won the Academy Award for best screenplay.

Stephen Unwin foundEd English Touring Theatre (ETT) in 1993 prior to becoming Artistic Director of Rose Theatre Kingston for five years. Unwin's credits for Theatre Royal Bath include Moon Tiger starring Jane Asher and Present Laughter starring Samuel West and Phyllis Logan.

The Real Thing was first staged in London's West End in 1982 and subsequently transferred to Broadway where it went on to win multiple awards including the Tony Award for Best Play in 1994 and, 16 years later, the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Stoppard's poignant classic offers an intellectual and entertaining examination of infidelity.

The production will have set and costume design by Jonathan Fensom (Farinelli and the King, Duke of York's; Journey's End; West End Broadway - Tony Award nomination for Best Scenic Design) and lighting by Tim Mascall (I Loved Lucy, Arts Theatre; The Importance of Being Earnest, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre).

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