Gents star adapts HG Wells classic

The League of Gentlemen’s Mark Gatiss is to star in his own TV adaptation of HG Wells's humourous sci-fi adventure The First Men In The Moon.

He will play Dr Cavor, a scientist who develops an anti-gravity material that allows him and young businessman Julius Bedford to travel to the moon in 1909.

Silent Witness actor Rory Kinnear will play Bedford in Gatiss’s versio, which will be screened on BBC Four.

Gatiss said: ‘I'm completely delighted to have the chance to bring this wonderful, funny, charming and scary story to BBC Four. It's very rare to be able to adapt a genius like HG Wells for the small screen and we hope to do full justice to his extraordinary vision.’

BBC Four controller Richard Klein added: ‘The First Men in the Moon is a thoroughly modern classic. It shines a light on man's natural desire to always get it wrong. I am delighted that Mark Gatiss has decided to bring this forgotten and yet wholly timely work to our screens.’

The cast of the one-off 90-minute show also includes Alex Riddell, Katherine Jakeways and Julia Deakin.

Published: 28 Oct 2009