Carroll, Cooper & More Set For Almedia's HOUSE OF GAMES, Previews Sept 9

Lindsay Posner will direct Richard Bean's new stage version of David Mamet's film, House of Games previewing from 9 September and running until 6 November, with press night on 16 September. Designs are by Peter McKintosh with lighting by Paul Pyant and music by Django Bates. House of Games is sponsored by Aspen.

The cast is Nancy Carroll (Dr Margaret Ford), Trevor Cooper (George), Dermot Crowley (Joey), Amanda Drew (Trudi/Carla), Peter De Jersey (PJ), Michael Landes (Mike), John Marquez (Bobby) and Al Weaver (Billy Hahn).

Harvard-educated psychoanalyst Margaret Ford is celebrated for her bestselling book ‘Driven! Compulsion and Obsession in Every Day Life'. Helping one of her patients settle his gambling debts, she compromises her professional reputation and is drawn into the seedy underworld of the House of Games poker club. Seduced by charismatic hustler Mike, Margaret convinces herself that she can make an academic study of the con-artist. Before she realises it, Margaret is entangled in a fast-paced thriller.

Nancy Carroll was last at the Almeida in Samuel West's production of Waste. Previously she appeared for the Company in Jonathan Kent's production of King Lear. She has worked extensively for the National Theatre in productions including After the Dance, The Man of Mode, The Voysey Inheritance, The False Servant and The Talking Cure, and for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Twelfth Night, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, As You Like It, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and The Winter's Tale. She was most recently in the West End in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia at the Duke of York's Theatre. Her film credits include Iris and An Ideal Husband and on television she has been seen in Cambridge Spies, Doctors and Midsomer Murders.

Trevor Cooper returns to the Almeida where he has previously been seen in Michael Attenborough's productions of Measure for Measure, Awake and Sing and The Late Henry Moss. His other theatre credits include Arcadia in the West End, The Tempest for the Royal Exchange Manchester, Playing with Fire for National Theatre and King John, The Prisoner's Dilemma and The Lieutenant of Inishmore for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His television credits include Spooks, Outnumbered, George Gently, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, The Ruby in the Smoke and My Hero. His film credits include Happy Go Lucky, Elizabeth and Vanity Fair.

Dermot Crowley was last on stage in Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previously he has been seen playing Donald Rumsfeld in Stuff Happens at the National Theatre as well as roles in Calico at the Duke of York's Theatre, Scenes from the Big Picture at the National Theatre, The Weir at the Royal Court and The Hostage for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His many television credits include Margaret, in which he played Airey Neve, Luther, Bleak House, Spooks, Foyle's War and Trial and Retribution. On film his credits include Holy Water, Babel, Little Dorrit and The Return of the Jedi.

Amanda Drew has previously been seen at the Almeida in Ian Rickson's production of Parlour Song and Michael Attenborough's production of Gorky's Enemies as well as the Almeida's 2008 A Chain Play. Most recently she was seen in Enron at the Royal Court and the West End. Her other theatre work includes Faces in the Crowd and The Stone for the Royal Court, Otherwise Engaged at the Criterion Theatre, Blithe Spirit at the Savoy Theatre, Breakfast with Emma and The House of Bernada Alba for Shared Experience as well as many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company both in Stratford and in the West End. On television she is best known for playing Dr May Wright in EastEnders. Her other television credits include Men Behaving Badly, Tough Love and The Maitlands. Her film credits include Mrs Dalloway and This Year's Love.

Peter De Jersey has worked at the National Theatre in productions including War and Peace, The Merchant of Venice and Troilus and Cressida and the Royal Shakespeare Company in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. His other theatre credits include Hamlet for Cheek by Jowl and Someone to Watch Over Me for Theatr Clwyd. On television his credits include Doctors, Sugar Rush and Waking The Dead and on film his credits include Hamlet, Out of Depth and The Bank Job.

Michael Landes will make his Almeida debut in House of Games. His extensive television career includes The Last Days of Lehman Brothers as well as roles in New Tricks, Boston Legal, CSI Miami, Love Soup, Material Girl, Christmas Carol, Hotel Babylon, Ghost Whisperer, The Wonder Years and thirtysomething. Landes played the role of Jimmy Olsen in the first season of Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman. His many film credits include My Girlfriends Boyfriend, Just Wright, Homecoming, Last Chance Harvey, Posession, Final Destination 2 and An American Summer. Landes has previously been seen on the London stage in When Harry Met Sally at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

John Marquez has previously been seen in A Chain Play and The Hypochondriac at the Almeida. His other theatre credits include Alice, Comedy of Errors, Iphigenia and Sweet Charity for Sheffield Theatres, All Manner of Means for Battersea Arts Centre, Annie Get Your Gun and The Good Soul of Szechuan for the Young Vic and The Emperor Jones, Market Boy, Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads for the National Theatre. His television credits include Doc Martin, Hotel Babylon, Suburban Shootout, Blair, Soldier Soldier and Killing Me Softly.

Al Weaver's theatre credits include Toyer for the Arts Theatre, How to Curse for the Bush, Coram Boy for the National Theatre and All the Ordinary Angles for the Royal Exchange Manchester. His television credits include Nativity, Sherlock Holmes and Survivors. His film credits include Honeymooners, Me and Orson Wells and Colour Me Kubrick.

David Mamet's other works as a playwright include Romance, which received its British premiere at The Almeida Theatre in 2005, Oleanna, Glengarry Glen Ross (for which he won the Pulitzer Prize), American Buffalo, A Life in the Theatre, Sexual Perversity in Chicago and Speed-the-Plow. As well as translations and adaptations his other writing includes five volumes of essays, children's books, as well as poems and novels. His films, as a writer, include The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables and The Winslow Boy and as writer/director, House of Games which marked his film directorial debut, Oleanna,The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main and Heist.

The Almeida has previously presented Richard Bean's version of Moliere's The Hypochondriac. His play On the Side of the Angels will be presented as part of the Tricycle Theatre's The Great Game: Afghanistan season in July. His other writing credits include England People Very Nice which premiered at the National Theatre in 2009, The English Game, produced by Headlong, Harvest, Honeymoon Suite and Toast all for the Royal Court, The Mentalists for the National Theatre and Up On Roof for Hull Truck.
Previously Lindsay Posner has directed Mamet's Romance for The Almeida Theatre as well as The Hypochondriac and Tom and Viv. His other extensive directing credits include Mamet's Oleanna, A Life in the Theatre and Sexual Perversity in Chicago, as well as, more recently, Fiddler on the Roof for Sheffield Theatres and the Savoy Theatre, Three Sisters on Hope Street for Hampstead Theatre, Carousel at the Savoy Theatre and A View from the Bridge at the Duke of York's Theatre.

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

The Almeida Theatre is grateful to its Principal Sponsor Coutts & Co., who is currently in their eighth consecutive year of support. The relationship between Coutts and the Almeida, first established when the newly refurbished theatre reopened in 2003, is a unique collaboration which has developed and flourished over the past eight years. www.coutts.com

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

Long-term major sponsor of The Almeida Theatre, Aspen, continue their generous support of the theatre into a seventh year as Production Sponsor of House of Games. Aspen is a leading global reinsurance and insurance provider to clients worldwide, listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol AHL. www.aspen.bm

Arts Council ENGLAND

The Almeida Theatre is supported by Arts Council England

ACCESS PERFORMANCES

House of Games
Captioned Performances 16 October at 3pm and 2 November at 7.30pm followed by speech to text Talkback

Audio Described Performance 30 October at 3pm with a Touch Tour at 1.30pm

Almeida Access Line 020 7288 4999 or email access@almeida.co.uk

ADDRESS Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA

CAFE-BAR The Almeida Cafe-Bar is open from 11.30am -11.00pm, Monday to Saturday, serving food, drinks and snacks.

BOX OFFICE

Phone 020 7359 4404 (24 hour)
In person 10.00am - 7.30pm, Monday - Saturday
On line www.almeida.co.uk
Tickets £32.00 - £8.00, concessions available

PERFORMANCES SCHEDULE

Regular performances are Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinees (from 18 September) at 3pm, Press Nights at 7.00pm

Extra matinee performances for House of Games - Wednesdays 20 October and 3 November at 2.30pm

WEBSITE www.almeida.co.uk