The Real Thing Tickets

The Real Thing, one of Tom Stoppard's most popular plays, returns to the London stage at the Old Vic Theatre. Book The Real Thing tickets on London Theatre.

The Real Thing in London stars James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, The Tragedy of Macbeth) as Henry and Bel Powley (A Small Light, The Morning Show) as Annie. The exceptional cast also includes Oliver Johnstone, Susan Wokoma, Daniel Baskharoun, Peter Eastland, Oyin Orija, Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran, Karise Yansen, as well as Jack Ambrose and Mahaila Palmer in their professional debuts.

Through a play within a play and numerous layers of fact and fiction, the comedy explores themes of love, infidelity, and reality versus appearance. The show tells the story of Annie, an actress, and Henry, a married playwright who have fallen in love. But can a relationship with a deceptive beginning last?

The Real Thing is a play that has a fantastic creative team, including Tony and Olivier-winning director Max Webster (Life of Pi), Olivier-winning set & costume designer Peter McKintosh (Crazy For You), lighting designer Richard Howell (Passing Strange), and sound designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Bloody Elle).

In a statement, Webster said, "The Real Thing has always been one of my favorite plays, and it's a great honor to be directing it at one of my favorite theatres, The Old Vic, with this extraordinary cast."

This show premiered in 1982 in London and won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. Since then, The Real Thing has been the subject of numerous successful revivals, including in 1984, when it won a Tony Award for Best Play, and in 2000, when it won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.