Geraldine Hakewill and Johnny Carr Lead Sydney Theatre Co's THE REAL THING

Tom Stoppard's modern classic The Real Thing opens this September at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, directed by Simon Phillips.

Phillips, one of this country's most renowned and respected theatre directors, returns to Sydney Theatre Company following the sold out premiere season of Muriel's Wedding the Musical in 2017, to direct an irresistible cast including Geraldine Hakewill (Channel 7'sMs Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries and Wanted) and Johnny Carr (Network 10's Five Bedrooms) in this hugely entertaining and deeply affecting play.

Henry is married to Charlotte, while Annie is married to Max. But it's Henry and Annie who have fallen passionately in love. Could this, at last, be the real thing? They'll soon find out.

Through the demise of two marriages, the bloom of new relationships and the pain of infidelity, Stoppard's characters debate and dissect what love is, what it gives and what it takes. Expertly constructed, erudite and funny, The Real Thing showcases the playwright at his dazzling best.

"I'm just in awe of the brilliance of Stoppard's mind, be it bent on scintillating comic wordplay or the often Rubik's Cubism of his structure," Phillips said. "He keeps you mentally on your toes throughout and he has faith that the audience will be alert enough to run with the often complex ideas he's exploring. I also think he's a real humanist, which is sometimes overlooked because he's so damned clever."

One of his most heartfelt plays, it's a portrait of a writer of intellectual prowess struggling to articulate that most elusive of emotions - love.

"The Real Thing is about how to love someone properly and well. How to maintain and care for your partner sufficiently to earn their loyalty," Phillips said. "So I hope the audience's will come away thinking a little more about these things. As well as having been thoroughly entertained by an intelligent, razor-sharp comedy and wooed by its romantic aspirations."

Photo Credit: Rene Vaile