A story of male camaraderie and obsession which is set in the gritty world of amateur poker is the next production in the Made in Northampton season at the Town’s Royal and Derngate.
Patrick Marber’s award-winning dark comedy Dealer’s Choice won the Evening Standard award for best comedy when it was first staged at the National Theatre in 1995.
At the beginning of the play, a weekly poker school is about to start in the basement of a London restaurant. Wealthy and controlling restaurateur Stephen, his debt-ridden son Carl and chef Sweeney join waiters Frankie and the idiotically optimistic Mugsy to discover all is to play for with the arrival of unexpected visitor Ash. Family, friendship and honour are tested.
The cast features Richard Hawley, best known as DI Richard Haskons in ITV’s award-winning Prime Suspect, Ian Burfield, whose recent credits include the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors, and Tom Canton, who was recently seen as Captain Denny in the BBC1 Pride and Prejudice sequel Death Comes to Pemberley.
The line-up is completed by Oliver Coopersmith who played Posner in The History Boys at Sheffield Crucible, Cary Crankson who was in Othello at the Rose Theatre and Carl Prekopp who took the role of Frank Bryant in the 2013 production of Arnold Wesker’s Roots at the Donmar Warehouse.
Dealer’s Choice will be directed by Michael Longhurst who directed Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s The World of Extreme Happiness at the National Theatre in 2013 and the Royal Court production of Nick Payne’s Constellations which received four Olivier nominations.
Playwright Patrick Marber commented, “I'm thrilled that Royal and Derngate are reviving Dealer's Choice and I'm very excited to be working at such a lively and buzzing theatre.”
Dealer’s Choice runs on the Royal stage from Friday (23 May) until Saturday 14 June before transferring to Oxford Playhouse for a week.
Meanwhile, Tove Jansson’s Moomins will be brought to life in a new adventure, Moominsummer Madness, in Royal and Derngate’s Underground Studio from Thursday (22 May) until Sunday 1 June.
This world première, a co-production with London’s Polka Theatre, is said to be suitable for children aged four and upwards.