by RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN
directed by TOM LITTLER
starring ROBERT BATHURST and PATRICIA HODGE
You thought! Thought does not become a young woman.
Bath in the Roaring Twenties: risqué revelry, romance, and rivalry in the Assembly Rooms – a town torn between tradition and the new age.
Lydia and Jack (Zoe Brough and Kit Young) are made for each other – but Lydia’s a rebel and Jack’s too posh to be her beau. What’s a chap to do? A little harmless deception, of course.
Meanwhile, Jack’s father, Anthony Absolute (Robert Bathurst), is absolutely determined to be obeyed, and Lydia’s guardian Mrs Malaprop (Patricia Hodge) is seeking a love-affair of her own – if only she could find the right words…
Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s sparkling satire of love and language has lost none of its bite and brilliance. OT Artistic Director Tom Littler gives this 250th anniversary revival a jazzy new production: a sumptuous treat to chase away the winter cold. Patricia Hodge, one of our leading stage actors and widely known from Miranda and Rumpole of the Bailey, stars in the iconic role of Mrs Malaprop. Alongside her as the irascible Anthony Absolute is Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Joking Apart). Zoe Brough returns to the OT following her role as Nell Gwyn in Playhouse Creatures to play Lydia Languish, opposite Kit Young (Shadow and Bone, Out of Darkness) as Jack Absolute.
Together they lead a superb ensemble cast combining OT favourites and new faces.
The Rivals is generously supported by Derek Robinson.
“Littler offers up a gloriously funny, Yuletide-set staging… splendidly cast and perfectly played.” Daily Telegraph on She Stoops to Conquer at the OT
“A blast. It’ll send you out into the night with a silly smile on your face.” Time Out on The Rivals
How to get tickets
The Rivals is currently sold out.
As part of the OT’s Friday Rush scheme, a number of £15 standing tickets will be released at midday on the Friday before the following week’s performances. These will only be available to book online.
Members and Patrons enjoy exclusive access to the waiting list for any returns / additional releases. Discover membership and join the waiting list today >
If there are any remaining seats available ahead of a performance, these will be released online.
Show Info
PERFORMANCE TIMES
Mon – Sat 7.30pm
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Some additional 2.30pm performances
CONTENT ADVICE
Our content warnings are updated as a production evolves through rehearsals and previews, so please note they may change between booking a ticket and seeing the production.
SATURDAY SEMINAR
Sat 17 Jan, 11am – find out more and book here
MEMBERS’ & PATRONS’ EVENING WITH POST-SHOW TALK
Tue 9 Dec
Booking is open exclusively to all our Members and Patrons.
Membership starts at £60 and supports the OT to create our ambitious programme of artistic and community work. These evenings are a chance to mingle with fellow Members and Patrons, meet the OT staff, and hear from the cast and creative team of the production.
OT UNDER 30 NIGHT
Fri 12 Dec, 7.30pm
On OT Under 30 Nights, enjoy a free drink and post-show talk all included with your £15 ticket.
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION LED BY THE OT
Thursday matinees
Admission is free with your ticket to the performance.
RELAXED & DISTANCED PERFORMANCE
Tue 13 Jan, 7.30pm
CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE
Tue 20 Jan, 7.30pm
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE
Wed 21 Jan, 7.30pm
To book accessible seats, and for audio described and captioned, please call the box office on 020 8940 3633 (Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm) or email
box.office@orangetreetheatre.co.uk. If you’re on our Access List, you can log in and book online.
TICKET PRICES
No booking fees. Prices increase based on demand. Book early to secure your seats at the best prices.
£15 tickets for Under 30s on all seats for all performances – subject to availability
£15 access tickets – find out more
£15 tickets available for members of theatre unions and guilds
£1 tickets available through our subsidised ticket scheme – find out more
On Stage
Cast
Robert Bathurst
Anthony Absolute
Patricia Hodge
Mrs Malaprop
Pete Ashmore
Frederick Arnold Gieves
Joëlle Brabban
Lucy
Zoe Brough
Lydia Languish
Dylan Corbett-Bader
Bob Acres
Jim Findley
Thomas
Colm Gormley
Lucius O’Trigger
Robert Maskell
David
Boadicea Ricketts
Julia Melville
James Sheldon
‘Faulty’ Faulkland
Kit Young
Jack Absolute
Creative Team
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Writer
Tom Littler
Director
Anett Black and Neil Irish
Set and Costume Designers
William Reynolds
Lighting Designer
Tom Attwood
Sound Designer & Composer
Leah Harris
Movement Director
Nick Trumble
Voice & Dialect Coach
Freya Griffiths
Assistant Director
Emma Kylmälä
Costume Supervisor
Chris Smyth
Wigs and Hair Supervisor
Ginny Schiller CDG
Casting Consultant
Rosie Tricks
Associate Script Editor
Lisa Cochrane
Deputy Stage Manager
Charlotte Barker-Smith
Assistant Stage Manager
Esmé Dann
Wardrobe Assistant / Dresser
Asher Musgrave-Wood
Stage Management Intern
Irene Saviozzi and Thomas Manly
Props Support