Casting has been announced for Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals, with two formidable comic stage actors, Maggie Steed and Desmond Barrit, leading the cast. The production runs at the Playhouse from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 29th October.

This elegant yet earthy comedy of manners features some of the most enduring and eccentric comic characters in British theatre. It will be brought to life by Citizens Theatre Artistic Director Dominic Hill (The Libertine, Crime and Punishment) in a co-production between Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic and Citizens Theatre, Glasgow this autumn.

In the summer streets of Bath, social climber and “pineapple of politeness” Mrs Malaprop is determined to make her niece Lydia Languish a fortuitous match. Lydia, however, fuelled by an excessive indulgence in romantic fiction, has other ideas and plans to fall in love with a penniless man. The inconveniently wealthy Captain Jack Absolute attempts to fulfil Lydia’s romantic ambition. He disguises himself as a poor soldier in a bold attempt to capture her heart.

Maggie Steed, a student of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the 1960s, takes on the iconic role of Mrs Malaprop. An experienced stage and screen actress, she has also performed as a stand-up comedienne. She has worked on Broadway in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, appeared in the television series Jam and Jerusalem, Born and Bred and Pie in the Sky as well as working on Terry Gilliam’s film The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus.

Desmond Barrit joins her as Sir Anthony Absolute. An award-winning Welsh actor, he is well-known for his comedy performances as Bottom, Falstaff (R.S.C.), Toad in Alan Bennett’s The Wind in the Willows and the Antipholus twins in The Comedy of Errors for which he won an Olivier award. His career has encompassed productions from Sondheim to Shakespeare and includes playing The Wizard in the West End production of Wicked.

They are joined by Lucy Briggs-Owen as the hopeless romantic Lydia Languish. Lucy recently played Viola in the West End production of Shakespeare in Love for which she received huge critical acclaim. Other recent credits include Fortunes Fool (Old Vic), Midsummer Night’s Dreaming, The Orphan Zhao, The City Madam (all R.S.C.) and Noises Off (West End).

The rakish love interest of Jack Absolute will be played by Rhys Rusbatch, recently seen in the role of Peter in the 2016 RSC production Wendy and Peter Pan. He also recently starred in the National Theatre of Wales production Mametz. His film credits include Zero Dark Thirty, which was nominated for 5 Academy Awards in 2012.

The cast is completed with Lee Mango playing Bob Acres, Jessica Hardwick as Julia and recent graduate of the Royal Welsh Collage of Music and Drama Shaun Miller.

As Hill begins his fifth year at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre, The Rivals marks a return to comedy for a director who has developed a reputation for his powerful tragedies. His production will open at Bristol Old Vic before touring to Liverpool Playhouse (5th-29th October) and the Citizens Theatre (2nd-19th November) and represents the 18th-century strand of Bristol Old Vic’s 250th anniversary programme.

Tickets are available from the Box office, by telephone on 0151 7094776 or online at www.everymanplayhouse.com and are priced at £9.50-£28.