A family affair for Loft comedy

The award-winning comedy about love will hit the theatre for a 10-day run this month.

Since being written by Tom Stoppard in the early 1980s, the story has been a hit on stages across London and the West End.

Now coming to Leamington, the popular story looks to Henry, a playwright who is unhappily married to Charlotte - the leading actress in his most recent play about a marriage on the verge of collapse.

But life imitates art as Henry’s affair with actress friend Annie threatens to finally destroy his own marriage.

When Annie decides to leave her husband Max, both marriages collapse and Henry and Annie eventually marry.

Their life together is far from smooth, leaving Henry to wonder whether their love is fiction or truly the real thing.

Richard Ely and Cathryn Bowler play Henry and Annie on the stage, with Julie­Ann Randall and Dave Crossfield as Charlotte and Max.

The cast also includes Peter Borsada as Brodie, a former ­soldier imprisoned for his anti­war activities, Oli Jones as Billy a young actor with whom Annie has an affair, and Emily Stuttard as Debbie the teenage daughter of Henry and Charlotte.

Director Sue Moore said: “I don’t think you can be truly gripped by theatre and not be in love with this play.

“It is very clever and that skill creates the most fantastic door into what I think great theatre is ­ emotion and thought in perfect symmetry.

“I hope our audiences relish watching it as much as we have enjoyed working on it.”

The Real Thing runs at the Victoria Colonnade theatre from April 22 to May 2.

Starts at 7.30pm each night, tickets from Loft or 0844 493 4938.