Mayall to tour in vintage comedy

Rik Mayall is to tour the country in a Noel Coward comedy.

The comic is to play egotistical charmer Garry Essendine in Present Laughter, which visits nine theatres from later this month.

The character is based on Coward himself, and the play is set in the glamorous world of the jazz-age theatre that he knew so well.

Mayall has previously appeared in a number of West End productions, including Waiting For Godot and Cell Mates - infamous as the play Stephen Fry fled from.

The play, staged by Bath-based Theatre Royal Productions, will be performed at the following venues:

Tuesday January 21 to Saturday January 25: Theatre Royal Brighton

Monday January 27 to Saturday February 1: Malvern Festival Theatre

Monday February 3 to Saturday February 8: High Wycombe Swan

Monday February 10 to Saturday February 15: Oxford Playhouse

Monday February 17 to Saturday February 22: Churchill Theatre Bromley

Monday February 24 to Saturday March 1: The King's, Glasgow

Monday March 3 to Saturday March 8: Richmond Theatre

Monday March 10 to Saturday March 15: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Monday March 24 to Saturday March 29: Theatre Royal Bath

Published: 1 Jan 2003