Holiday Chaos Comes to Round House Theatre with Rules For Living

The holiday season brings with it traditions, gatherings, and—let's be honest—family drama. This December, Round House Theatre in Bethesda invites audiences to witness the spectacular implosion of one family's Christmas dinner in the U.S. premiere of Sam Holcroft's wickedly clever comedy, Rules For Living.

Rules For Living at Round House Theatre

Running from December 3 through January 4, this British import has been freshly adapted for American audiences and promises to transform the familiar discomfort of holiday family gatherings into theatrical gold. The production, directed by Round House Artistic Director Ryan Rilette, is part of the theatre's 2025/26 season and features an ensemble cast including Will Conard, Jonathan Feuer, Avery Harris, Naomi Jacobson, John Lescault, Maisie Posner, Dani Stoller, and Dina Thomas.

At first glance, the setup seems innocuous enough: a family comes together to prepare Christmas lunch under the watchful eye of their matriarch. But as the turkey roasts and tensions simmer, what begins as a picture-perfect holiday tableau quickly spirals into a magnificent unraveling of secrets, hostilities, and long-buried grudges. What sets Holcroft's play apart from typical dysfunctional-family fare is its ingenious theatrical conceit—the hidden "rules" that govern each character's behavior become visible to the audience, exposing the psychological gymnastics we all perform to survive family gatherings.

"I'm so excited to tackle this hilarious holiday comedy with a dream team of comedic actors. Rules for Living takes the typical dysfunctional family holiday story into new territory by drawing attention to the unspoken rules we all follow, often unconsciously, and the coping mechanisms we rely on when navigating the complexities of family dynamics. It's an entertaining and relatable story told with wit, heart, high energy, and a lot of laughs," says Artistic Director Ryan Rilette.

The play earned rave reviews during its run at London's National Theatre, where The Guardian praised it as "raucous, unbridled." The inventive structure transforms every uncomfortable pause, passive-aggressive comment, and emotional outburst into what promises to be brilliantly choreographed theatrical mayhem. It's comedy born from recognition—we've all been at that holiday table where one wrong word could detonate years of unspoken resentment.

Supporting the talented cast is an impressive creative team featuring Scenic Designer Jimmy Stubbs, Costume Designer Ivania Stack, Lighting Designer Emma Deane, Sound Designer Delaney Bray, Fight Director Casey Kaleba, Dramaturg Naysan Mojgani, Casting Director Sarah Cooney, Assistant Director Michael Glenn, Production Stage Manager Tori Schuchmann, and Production Assistant Ellen Mitchell.

Round House Theatre has established itself as one of the Washington, DC area's premier theatrical institutions, known for producing bold, conversation-starting work. With 235 Helen Hayes Award nominations and 54 wins to its name, the theatre has built a reputation for excellence while maintaining its commitment to accessibility and community engagement. Beyond its mainstage productions at the Bethesda location on East-West Highway, Round House operates extensive education programs that serve more than 5,000 students annually through its Silver Spring Education Center and outreach programs throughout Montgomery County.

For theatre lovers looking to escape their own family gatherings—or perhaps gain perspective on them—Rules For Living offers the perfect holiday antidote. It's a chance to laugh at the universal absurdity of family dynamics from the safe distance of a theatre seat, where the dysfunction is choreographed, the disasters are scripted, and you can leave at intermission if Uncle Larry gets too obnoxious. Though in this case, you'll want to stay for the whole delicious meltdown.

Rules For Living runs at Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, from December 3 through January 4.