The Rivals Tickets

The Theatre Royal in Bath is well known for providing the capital with a whole host of its popular West End shows. 2011, for example, will see “Blithe Spirit” arrive at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue and as far back as the 1950s shows have appeared in Bath well before their West End transfer (Agatha Christie’s “A Daughter’s a Daughter” comes to mind). Now Theatreland will be welcoming another show from the city as “The Rivals” sets to take to the stage of the Haymarket Theatre from November 2010, with Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles taking on lead roles.

“The Rivals” also has the distinction of taking place in South West city as the action takes audiences back many centuries when the town’s reputation is spreading. Penned by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1775 it depicts a number of families and wealthy socialites flocking to the city to indulge in the luxuries and romances on offer. The action takes place on a single day and amongst those arriving are people such as Mrs Malaprop (Penelope Keith) and Sir Anthony Absolute (Peter Bowles), with various other colourful individuals who wish to take in the sights and sounds and show off their wealth.

London theatre audiences will also see a familiar name in the show’s director Sir Peter Hall, whose recent productions in London include “Bedroom Farce” at the Duke of York’s Theatre. The acclaimed director has been behind a wealth of shows, many of which have been prestigious productions for the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, with other credits such as “Waiting for Godot” during a career that has lasted many decades.

And this is not the only reason that “The Rivals” will be a high profile production when it opens. The show also sees the team up of two familiar names from the television programme “To the Manor Barn” in Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, who have both been seen in various other roles over long and illustrious careers.

Keith, for example, has further credits that include “The Norman Conquests” and “Next of Kin”, in addition to stage productions like “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Vaudeville Theatre in 2008. Meanwhile, Bowles has appeared in various shows in the West End, the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Theatre Royal Bath.

The Rivals makes its appearance in the West End at the Haymarket Theatre from Tuesday 23rd November 2010 (previews from Wednesday 10th November 2010) to Saturday 26th February 2011.