RULES FOR LIVING, By Sam Holcroft We’ve all been there, the family Christmas Day from hell. Everyone tries really, really hard but there comes a point when something (or someone) snaps and all hell breaks loose. Edith is a matriarch who runs Christmas day like a military operation; her husband is recovering from an operation; her two sons and their respective other halves don’t get along; and her teenage granddaughter won’t come downstairs to Christmas dinner. But this play, first produced by the National Theatre in 2015, is much more than a gloriously riotous and uproarious comedy. Intriguingly, we get to see the characters’ motivations, their internal “rules”, via a real-time dashboard on the set. Book seats now to see what happens! Rules for Living is both genuinely touching and side-splittingly funny. It’s a seasonal tale of disharmony, ruined expectations, and overindulgence when an extended family gather for Christmas dinner. Premiered with great success at the National Theatre in 2015. Directed by Ken Walsh.
