Casting is now complete for the London premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play, which will begin performances at the St. James Theatre on November 13 and open on November 21. Directed by Laurence Boswell, the production is scheduled for a limited engagement through January 4, 2014.
Joining previously announced cast members Edward Bennett, Flora Montgomery and Sarah Woodward will be Natalie Casey (Abigail’s Party, Legally Blonde) as Catherine Givings, Jason Hughes (This Life, Design for Living) as Dr. Givings, Madeline Appiah (Welcome to Thebes, The Taming of the Shrew) as Elizabeth and Owen Oakeshott (Anthony and Cleopatra, Joe Egg) as Mr. Daldry.
Set in the late 19th century, In the Next Room tells the story of Dr. Givings, who has been working on a strange electrical device. His aim is to treat female hysteria, but his first patient emerges from her first session glowing and keen to return. Based on true historical events, In the Next Room is a provocative and touching story about sex and intimacy.
Ruhl’s play originally opened on Broadway in 2009 and was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Play. The London production is a transfer from The Theatre Royal Bath, where it played May 10-June 9, 2012, at the Ustinov Studio.