Neil Morrissey will return to the West End later this month to star in 1950s romp Relative Values, taking over the comedy baton from Rory Bremner who finishes his limited 10-week run in the show on 24 May.
Reuniting the popular screen actor with his Men Behaving Badly co-star Caroline Quentin, Morrissey will take over the role of Crestwell in Trevor Nunn’s acclaimed production of the Noël Coward classic that collected rave reviews when it opened last month.
Centring on an uproarious culture clash between the glittering world of Hollywood and the stiff upper lip of the English aristocracy, the play charts the story of a young earl who intends to marry a famous actress. When it comes to light that the starlet’s sister is none other than Moxie, the earl’s mother’s maid, the family is well and truly flummoxed and attempts to pass Moxie off as one of their own, leading to a series of hilarious events and mishaps.
Morrissey, who starred in the BBC’s cult sitcom Men Behaving Badly for six years, is undoubtedly best known for his numerous screen roles that include recent turns in Line Of Duty, Paradise Heights and Waterloo Road.
His hugely successful career has been punctuated by popular turns on stage, however, with previous West End credits including the Nunn-directed critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Victoria Woods’ Acorn Antiques, Guys And Dolls and Speed The Plow.
Relative Values will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 21 June, with Quentin’s fellow leading cast members Patricia Hodge and Leigh Zimmerman also continuing in their roles.