London Assurance

London Assurance is the tale of Sir Harcourt Courtley, who is lured away from the epicentre of fashionable London by the promise of a rich and beautiful bride, Grace, 45 years his junior. Arriving at Oak Hall, Gloucestershire, he marvels at this rural Venus until her charms are eclipsed by her hearty cousin, the foxhunting Lady Gay Spanker. Meanwhile his disguised son turns up in flight from his creditors and falls head over heels for Grace. When Lady Spanker discovers the young couple, she needs little prompting from the visiting chancer Dazzle to lead Sir Harcourt astray.

Simon Russell Beale, who leads the cast of London Assurance is widely regarded as one of the finest stage actors of his generation. A National Theatre Associate, his previous credits on the South Bank include Major Barbara, Much Ado About Nothing, The Alchemist, The Life Of Galileo and Hamlet.

Fiona Shaw, who stars opposite Russell Beale in London Assurance, is also an NT regular, having appeared in Mother Courage And Her Children, Happy Days, Richard II, The Good Person Of Sichuan and The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.

London Assurance is the third production in the Shell Series of classic drama, following Much Ado About Nothing and Oedipus.