Roger Allam Returns to the Old Vic in Ayckbourn's 'How the Other Half Loves'
Roger Allam is back at the Old Vic this summer, playing Frank Foster in Alan Ayckbourn's domestic farce How the Other Half Loves. The production runs from 29 July to 19 September 2026, with Phillip Breen directing WhatsOnStage.
The play, described by the Old Vic as a farce involving three couples and two homes, sits squarely in Ayckbourn's territory of marital confusion and social mishap. Dorothy Atkinson stars alongside Allam, with Ayesha Antoine also in the cast WhatsOnStage. The production is recommended for ages 12 and over Old Vic.
Allam's return to the Waterloo Road venue carries some personal history. He spoke about it in the WhatsOnStage podcast, recorded in the Old Vic rehearsal room on 31 July 2026 by co-host Alex Wood — Sarah Crompton, the show's other co-host, was abroad for this episode WhatsOnStage. In the conversation, Allam recalled seeing his theatrical idols at the Old Vic when he was young, and discussed the subject of amplification in theatre. He also referenced having once played a body part in an Ayckbourn radio play.
Allam is widely known for his stage work — including the original London cast of Les Misérables — and for screen roles in The Thick of It and Frank and Percy. He previously appeared at the Old Vic in a production of Aladdin Old Vic. The WhatsOnStage podcast episode featuring the interview is available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify WhatsOnStage.
The Old Vic published rehearsal images on 10 July 2026, confirming the company was already at work in the building Old Vic. The production offers BSL-interpreted, captioned, and audio-described performances, including an audio-described show on Monday 14 September at 7:30pm Old Vic.
How the Other Half Loves forms part of Matthew Warchus's final season as artistic director of the Old Vic, alongside a new production of Martin Guerre, also starring Allam and Atkinson BroadwayWorld. For audiences who have followed Allam's career from the barricades of Les Misérables to the spin rooms of The Thick of It, the chance to see him in an Ayckbourn farce — a form that demands comic timing of the most exact kind — is the draw here.
