Press Release: Cast Announced for Anya Reiss's The Acid Test

The Acid Test by Anya Reiss is the next play to open in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs from 13 May (press night 23 May) with a cast including Phoebe Fox, Vanessa Kirby, Denis Lawson and Lydia Wilson.

The Acid Test
By Anya Reiss
Directed by Simon Godwin
13 May – 11 June 2010
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre
Press Night, Monday 23 May 7pm

The Acid Test is the second play from Anya Reiss, whose play Spur of the Moment premiered at the Royal Court in July 2010, winning her the award for Most Promising Playwright at both the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle awards. Anya attended the Young Writers Programme at the Royal Court and wrote her first play when she was 17.

‘This has been the worst day of my life. So can you please get drunk with me?’

Dana, Ruth and Jess down shots to console the heart-broken, to comfort the anxious and just pass the time. Kicked out from the family home Jess’s dad, Jim, invades the party with just as much recklessness as the girls. As the night passes and vodka bottles are emptied, Friday night in becomes high drama.

An unruly new comedy asking if age equals maturity.

Phoebe Fox plays Ruth. Her theatre credits include As You Like It at the Rose Theatre Kingston and A Month in the Country at Chichester Festival Theatre.

Vanessa Kirby plays Dana. Her theatre credits include As You Like It at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Women Beware Women at the National Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ghosts and All My Sons at the Octagon Theatre.

Denis Lawson plays Jessica’s dad Jim. His most recent theatre credits include La Cage au Folles, Oleanna at the Duke of York and Lust at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
On screen, he is widely known for playing Tom Campbell-Gore in BBC 1’s Holby City.
His other credits include Bleak House, the Star Wars Trilogy, Local Hero and The Man in the Iron Mask.

Lydia Wilson plays Jessica. She last appeared at the Royal Court
as Phoebe in The Heretic. Her recent credits include Blasted at the Lyric Hammersmith,
Pains of Youth at the National Theatre and House of Special Purpose at Chichester Festival
Theatre. On television, she appeared in BBC 1’s Any Human Heart.

Simon Godwin directs. His credits at the Royal Court include Wanderlust by Nick Payne, Faith Healer and Far Away at Bristol Old Vic, The Winter’s Tale for Headlong and the Nuffield Theatre Southampton, Mister Heracles at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Simon directed seven main stage shows as Associate Director of the Royal and Derngate Theatres in Northampton under Artistic Director Rupert Goold. He also directed work as part of the Royal Court 2008 and 2010 International Residencies.

The Acid Test is designed by Paul Wills, with lighting by Malcolm Rippeth and sound by Nick Manning.

The Acid Test is part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation

– ends – (14/04/11)

Listings information

The Acid Test
By Anya Reiss
Directed by Simon Godwin
13 May – 11 June 2011
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Monday – Saturday 7.45pm
Thursday matinees 3.30pm (from 2 June)
Saturday matinees 3.30pm (from 28 May)
Press night Monday 23 May 7pm
Post-show Talk Tuesday 31 May
Captioned Performance 8 June 2011

Tickets £20 Mondays all seats £10 (all seats £10 available on the day of performances from 9am online, 10am in person, and in advance to Friends and Supporters)
Concessions £15* (avail. in advance until 21 May 2011 incl. and all mats. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
School and HE Groups of 8+ £10 (avail. Tue-Fri and mats)
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)

• ID required, not bookable online. All discounts are subject to availability.

Coutts & Co is the Principal Sponsor of the Royal Court Theatre

Coutts & Co is the UK private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is one of the world’s largest banking groups.

The first Coutts & Co regional office to be opened was Eton in 1961. Today, Coutts & Co has regional offices in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Eton, Exeter, Guildford, Hampshire, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Tunbridge Wells.

Coutts & Co offers clients a range of products and services covering sophisticated investment products together with expertise in trust and fiduciary services and UK tax and banking services. Coutts commercial banking arm also provides full banking service to UK businesses.

Coutts & Co is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Coutts & Co Registered in England No 36695 Registered Office 440 Strand London WC2R 0QS.
Calls may be recorded.

The Acid Test is part of the Royal Court’s Jerwood New Playwrights programme, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

The Jerwood Charitable Foundation is dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting emerging artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers. The aim of their funding is to allow artists and arts organisations to thrive; to continue to develop their skills, imagination and creativity with integrity. They work with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts. For more information visit the www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org

For further information please contact Anna Evans in the Royal Court Press Office on
020 7565 5063 or e-mail annaevans@royalcourttheatre.com