Dealer’s Choice

At the start of 1995 Patrick Marber was almost solely known as a comic, having been part of the writing team responsible for Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge and The Day Today (in which he memorably played half-arsed news reporter Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan). But things would soon change with Dealer’s Choice, his acclaimed debut as both writer and director that follows one extremely tense game of poker in an out of hours restaurant. It had a major revival in 2007, and now – for its thirtieth anniversary – here it is again, in a heavyweight revival from Matthew Dunster that will serve as the final play in Timothy Sheader’s first season at the Donmar. Alfie Allen – brother to Dunster’s usual muse Lily – will lead the cast, alongside Hammed Animashaun, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Brendan Coyle, Kasper Hilton-Hille and Daniel Lapaine.