Photo Flash: James McAvoy-Led THE RULING CLASS Opens in the West End

By: Jan. 29, 2015
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Ron Cook (Mr Selfridge, Henry V, King Lear, Hot Fuzz) as Sir Charles Gurney, Kathryn Drysdale (Suspects, Love's Labour's Lost, Tripping Over, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) as Grace Shelley, Joshua McGuire (Privacy, Posh, About Time, Mr Turner) as Dinsdale Gurney and Anthony O'Donnell (The Captain of Kopenick, Skyfall, Matchpoint) as Daniel Tucker, join BAFTA winning James McAvoy, as Jack, the 14th Earl of Gurney, in the first West End revival of Peter Barnes' satirical comedy, The Ruling Class, directed by Jamie Lloyd, Artistic Director of Trafalgar Transformed. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from opening night below!

Also in the cast are Michael Cronin (Bishop Bertie Lampton), Serena Evans (Lady Claire Gurney), Paul Leonard (Ralph Gurney), Elliot Levey (Dr Herder), Forbes Masson (McKyle) and ensemble cast; Rosy Benjamin, Andrew Bloomer and Oliver Lavery.

Jack, a possible paranoid schizophrenic with a Messiah complex, inherits the title of the 14th Earl of Gurney after his father passes away in a bizarre accident. Singularly unsuited to a life in the upper echelons of elite society, Jack finds himself at the centre of a ruthless power struggle as his scheming family strives to uphold their reputation.

Bubbling with acerbic wit and feverish energy, Olivier Award-winning and Oscar-nominated writer Peter Barnes' razor-sharp satire combines a ferocious mix of hilarity and horror whilst mercilessly exposing the foibles of the English nobility.

The Ruling Class premiered in 1968 at Nottingham Playhouse and promptly transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End where it won the Evening Standard Award for Best Drama in 1969. This black and caustic class comedy was then made into a movie in 1972 starring Peter O'Toole.

Photo Credit: Paul Lawrence Clapp

The Ruling Class
Opening night

The Ruling Class
Opening night

The Ruling Class
Opening night

The Ruling Class
Opening night

The Ruling Class
Allison McKenzie, Kevin Guthrie, Jamie Ballard, Callum O'Neill

The Ruling Class
Matthew Horne

The Ruling Class
James McAvoy

The Ruling Class
James McAvoy

The Ruling Class
Anne-Marie Duff, James McAvoy

The Ruling Class
David Morrissey and Christie Barnes with family

The Ruling Class
David Morrissey

The Ruling Class
David Morrissey and James McAvoy

The Ruling Class
Daniel Mays

The Ruling Class
Melanie Masson

The Ruling Class
Melanie Masson and Forbes Masson

The Ruling Class
Melanie Masson and Forbes Masson

The Ruling Class
Forbes Masson

The Ruling Class
HarDeep Singh Kohli

The Ruling Class
guest

The Ruling Class
guests

The Ruling Class
Paul Leonard

The Ruling Class
Kathryn Drysdale

The Ruling Class
Ron Cook

The Ruling Class
Elliot Levey and Anthony O'Donnell

The Ruling Class
Elliot Levey

The Ruling Class
Michael Cronin

The Ruling Class
Serena Evens

The Ruling Class
Christie Barnes

The Ruling Class
Joshua McGuire

The Ruling Class
Alasdair Buchan

The Ruling Class
Joshua Lacey

The Ruling Class
Harry Hadden-Patton and Matthew Bourne

The Ruling Class
Maggie Stead

The Ruling Class
Olivia Morgan and Mark Quartley

The Ruling Class
Nigel Harman



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