The Royal Court has announced a double extension with current hit Chicken Soup With Barley and forthcoming black comedy The Village Bike adding dates to their runs at the Sloane Square venue.
Dominic Cooke’s revival of Chicken Soup With Barley, which is playing in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, has extended its run by a week until 16 July, while the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs’ production The Village Bike will now run until 30 July.
Chicken Soup With Barley opened last week to critical acclaim with The Guardian’s Michael Billington describing the production as “flawless”. Leading lady Samantha Spiro’s performance was particularly lauded with Billington saying: “She captures perfectly her indomitable spirit and equation of socialism with love and food.”
Written by Arnold Wesker in 1956, the epic drama spans over 20 years, following one family’s journey from political protests to apathy, passion to disillusionment. Spiro is joined in the cast by Danny Webb as her good-for-nothing husband.
The Village Bike begins previews on 24 June. Marking playwright Penelope Skinner’s Royal Court debut, the play features a stellar cast including Romola Garai, Dominic Rowan and the Olivier Award-nominated actress Alexandra Gilbreath.
A provocative and darkly comic look at fantasy and romance, Garai stars as Becky, a bored and pregnant wife whose husband is more interested in baby books than sex. As the summer heats up, a brief encounter sends her speeding downhill towards reckless abandon. Directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, the production will face the press on 1 July.
CM