Cast revealed for Rules for Living in Northampton

Published: 2 August 2017
Reporter: Steve Orme

Strained relationships: Rules for Living

Jane Booker, Jolyon Coy, Ed Hughes, Carlyss Peer, Laura Rogers and Paul Shelley have been cast in the regional première of Sam Holcroft’s Rules for Living, an English Touring Theatre, Northampton Royal and Derngate and Rose Theatre Kingston production.

Jane Booker plays Edith. She previously worked with Simon Godwin, who directs Rules for Living, on The Beaux Stratagem by George Farquhar at the National Theatre in 2015.

Her other theatre work includes seasons with the RSC as well as Fanny Dashwood in Jessica Swale’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury in 2014.

Jolyon Coy plays Matthew. He was French King Philip in David Eldridge’s Holy Warriors and Octavius Caesar in Anthony and Cleopatra, both at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2014, and Potential Officer Menzies in Our Boys by Jonathan Lewis at the Duchess Theatre and Toby Maitland in Laura Wade’s Posh at the Royal Court Theatre, both in 2012.

Ed Hughes plays Adam. He was Cliff in Luna Gale by Rebecca Gilman at Hampstead Theatre in 2015, Raoul Duke in Lou Stein’s adaptation of Dr Hunter S Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at The Vaults, London in 2014 and John Clarkson in Caryl Phillips’s adaptation of Simon Schama’s Rough Crossings for Headlong at the Lyric, Hammersmith in 2007.

Carlyss Peer plays Carrie. She was Rita in Danny Rubin and Tim Minchin’s Groundhog Day at the Old Vic in 2016 and Lucy in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2010.

Laura Rogers plays Nicole. She was Bettina in David Tushingham’s translation of Roland Schimmelpfennig’s Winter Solstice at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond early in 2017, Dorothea in A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur by Tennessee Williams at the Print Room at the Coronet in 2016 and Kay Summerby in David Haig’s Pressure at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2014.

Paul Shelley plays Francis. He was Lord Marchmain and Mr Ryder in the English Touring Theatre production of Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited in 2016, Lazare in Marcus Gardley’s The House That Will Not Stand at the Tricycle Theatre in 2014 and Ralph in Moonlight by Harold Pinter at the Donmar Warehouse in 2011.

Rules for Living features an extended family gathering for a traditional Christmas dinner, but as the drinks flow and the obligatory games intensify, family resentments rise and relationships are pulled apart.

Former associate director at Northampton Royal and Derngate Simon Godwin directs. Designer is Lily Arnold, lighting designer is Matt Daw while Mark Melville is sound designer and composer. Movement director is Shelley Maxwell.

Rules for Living opens at Royal and Derngate from 8 until 30 September before touring to Cambridge Arts Theatre, Theatre Royal Windsor, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and Rose Theatre Kingston until 18 November.

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