One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest has extended its West End run for four weeks.

The play, featuring a cast of comics, will now close on January 1, when star Christian Slater must return to the States because of filming commitments.

He said: "I'm having a great time in England. The show is so much fun for all of us in the cast that we are thrilled to continue with it to 2005".

And producer Nica Burns – the woman who’s also behind the Perrier awards – said:" One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest has broken box office records at the Gielgud Theatre.

“It has won a new audience and receives a fantastic response every night. It is terrific that Christian and the cast are able to extend and give more people the opportunity to see the show".

The show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe after a difficult build-up that saw original director Guy Masterston quit, and the opening delayed after Slater contacted chicken pox.

The cast includes comics Owen O’Neill, Ian Coppinger, Dave Johns, Phil Nichol, Brendon Dempsey, Felix Dexter, Lucy Porter, Lizzie Roper, Katherine Jakeways, Stephen K Amos and  Mackenzie Crook.

The news comes as Richard Dreyfus announced that he is to pull out of the West End run of The Producers. Broadway star Nathan Lane will now appear opposite comic Lee Evans when the show opens on November 9.