Following its critically acclaimed production of The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 and 2, Troupe returns to Park Theatre in 2026 with Bill Rosenfield’s reimagining of Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap. The production opens in Park200 on 2 February, with previews from 28 January, and runs until 14 March.
Set in 1920s Belgravia, The Rat Trap charts the unravelling marriage of two writers whose love is tested by ambition, jealousy, and betrayal. Startlingly moving yet rich with Coward’s trademark wit and dark humour, this stylish period revival marks the centenary of his first play.
Ashley Cook for Troupe, in association with Park Theatre, presents The Rat Trap by Noël Coward, reimagined by Bill Rosenfield.
‘When two brilliant egoists marry… there is bound to be trouble.’
In fashionable 1920s Belgravia, Sheila, a talented novelist, and Keld, an aspiring playwright, embark on married life. Both are fiercely ambitious, but when Keld’s career takes off and Sheila’s doesn’t, professional jealousy and an affair have a devastating effect on their marriage.
Startlingly moving, but full of customary sparkling wit and dark humour, Noël Coward’s first play is given a stylish period revival for its centenary year. The Rat Trap is lovingly revised by Bill Rosenfield and presented by Troupe, who return to Park Theatre after its critically acclaimed production of The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 and 2.
Noël Coward (1899–1973) was a playwright, actor, and composer whose sharp wit and theatrical flair made him one of the most defining voices of 20th-century theatre. He made his West End debut as a writer with I’ll Leave It to You in 1920, followed by The Rat Trap, written when he was just 18 and first staged in 1926. His breakthrough came with The Vortex (1924), a bold and controversial play that cemented his reputation on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the next two decades, Coward wrote a string of stage hits including Hay Fever (1925), Private Lives (1930), Blithe Spirit (1941) and Present Laughter (1942). In 1964, he became the first living playwright to have a play staged at the National Theatre, directing a revival of Hay Fever. Knighted in 1970, Coward’s legacy lives on as one of the great figures of British stage history.
Bill Rosenfield’s plays include Another America (Park Theatre), 46 Beacon (Trafalgar Studios), Sunshine and Shadow (Blank Theatre, LA) and Let Me (Asolo Theatre, Sarasota, Unplugged Series). He is also the author of Unleashed!, currently under option by Grove Entertainment and Frank Marshall. His adaptation of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella was staged as part of the City Center Encores! Series in New York. Rosenfield also produced over 65 original cast recordings, earning 25 Grammy nominations – highlights of which include Assassins, Chicago (revival), Cabaret (revival), Ragtime, Parade, The Color Purple, The Last Five Years, and Here We Are, Stephen Sondheim’s final musical. He was featured alongside his late husband Gary Gunas in the web series Old Show Queens, and is the recipient of two Drama Desk Awards, a Richard Rodgers Award, and the SDC Foundation Governor’s Award.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
