The Game of Love and Chance is set to play as part of Arcola Theatre's reopening festival of art and performance entitled Today I'm Wiser.

And it's also the first production to air in the Arcola's new exterior venue Arcola Outside, designed by award-winning designer Jon Bausor, which provides a new performance space and bar.

The Game of Love and Chance runs from 14 July to 7 August, with press night on 19 July.

The production is a new version of Marivaux's classic comedy of love and class by Quentin Beroud and Jack Gamble which brings the work into a modern world of minor royals and major scandals.

The show reunites adapter and director Jack Gamble with adapter and associate director Quentin Beroud after their critically-acclaimed production of The Daughter-in-Law (ActDrop reviewed that play on 29 May 2018 - read Peter Brown's full 5 star review here).

The Arcola Theatre's co-founder and Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said ...

"We're so pleased to be reopening this summer and for Arcola's first production to be this new take on Marivaux's classic comedy, The Game of Love and Chance.

Almost 300 years after it was first written, the play's themes of the intransigence of our relationship to class are still so resonant, and the humour and playfulness of the production seem like a perfect way to bring audiences back together with laughter after such a difficult and painful year."

Casting

The cast has been announced today ...

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David Acton plays Mr Orgon.

David's previous credits include Macbeth and The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC) and The Woman in Black in the West End and in New York.

Ammar Duffus plays Dorante.

Ammar's previous credits include Twelfth Night (National Theatre); Holes (Nottingham Playhouse) and The Play About My Dad (Jermyn Street Theatre).

His TV and film credits include Doctors and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

George Kemp plays Marius.

He can currently be seen as Lord Weaver in Shonda Rhimes' series Bridgerton for Netflix.

Prior to this, he played Stanley Stubbers in One Man, Two Guv'nors at Derby Theatre and Queens Theatre, Hornchurch.

He also starred as the lead role of Brandon in the revival of Rope at the Queen's Theatre, directed by Douglas Rintoul.

Beth Lilly plays Lisette.

Beth's previous credits include Away in a Danger (Lichfield Garrick); The Play That Goes Wrong (Mischief Theatre/Kenny Wax Ltd/Duchess Theatre) and The Railway Children (York Theatre Royal/Charing Cross Theatre).

Michael Lyle plays Harlequin.

Michael previously starred in Amadeus at the National Theatre, Season's Greetings at Stephen Joseph Theatre and New Vic; No Villain at Trafalgar Studios.

His film credits include My Grandson Charlotte, Number One Fan, New World and Nuryan.

Ellie Nunn plays Sylvia.

Her stage credits include The Daughter-in-Law at Arcola, Lady Windermere's Fan (King's Head Theatre), Desperate Measures (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Shakespeare in Love (Noel Coward Theatre) Her film credits include Chubby Funny and Cracks.

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The Today I'm Wiser festival is running though to November, and features special collaborations and diverse stories from a broad range of theatre companies.

For the full line-up of shows in the festival, check here.

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