The very first rehearsal in the Gate's New Wing will take place at 10am on Monday, with the multi award winning play The Real Thing by one of the giants of modern playwriting.

Prolific writer and author of such masterworks as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia and The Coast of Utopia, Tom Stoppard's razor-sharp wit burns with passion in this tender and poignant self-portraiture of marital maneuvering and the mysteries of love, commitment, and authenticity.

First performed in London in 1982, The Real Thing received the Evening Standard Award for Best Play before going on to Broadway, winning both the Tony Award and the prestigious New York Critics' Circle.  With this production the Gate is delighted to have brought together a stellar cast, under the direction of Alan Stanford, including Stephen Brennan as Henry, Andrea Irvine as Annie, Fiona Bell as Charlotte, Simon Coates, Beth Cooke and Tadhg  Murphy                                                                

The Real Thing opens at the Gate Theatre on Tuesday 10th February with low price previews from Thursday 5th February, Monday to Saturday at 8pm with Saturday matinees at 3pm on selected dates.