TWO of the UK’s favourite actors lead the cast in one of Noël Coward’s funniest comedies as Present Laughter arrives in Malvern.

Starring in the main roles at the Festival Theatre will be Samuel West as the flamboyant and self-obsessed actor, Garry Essendine, and Phyllis Logan as Monica Reed, his long suffering secretary.

Charming diva, Garry Essendine is determined to disregard his advancing years by revelling in endless tantrums and casual affairs. He may be teetering reluctantly towards middle age but everyone is infatuated by Garry, and his antics and rampant flirtations require the most careful handling by those closest to him.

About to depart for Africa, he finds himself besieged by a bevy of would-be seductresses, not to mention his acerbic secretary, his estranged wife, and an obsessed young playwright. As he attempts to disentangle himself from their clutches and demands, the sparkling comedy escalates.

Noël Coward’s semi-autobiographical comedy, set in the glamorous world of theatre, is a gloriously witty portrait of the life that whirled around Coward in his heyday and is widely considered to be one of his best-loved works.

Filled with the brilliant lines of a master craftsman, this new production blends razor-sharp wit, dazzlingly funny dialogue, captivating characters and fabulous sets and costumes.

Samuel West has performed extensively on stage and screen. He played Frank Edwards in all four series of ITV’s hit drama series Mr Selfridge and, earlier this year, performed in BBC’s The Hollow Crown, marking Shakespeare’s anniversary. His many television credits also include Cambridge Spies, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Garrow’s Law, Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley, Waking the Dead and Any Human Heart and films such as Howards End, Notting Hill, Van Helsing, Iris and Persuasion.

Phyllis Logan too has numerous television credits. Thee include all six series of the multi award-winning ITV drama Downton Abbey, in which she played the housekeeper Mrs Hughes, voted by The Radio Times as their favourite character of the entire series.

Over a period of eight years, she also played the role of Lady Jane in forty-eight episodes of the long-running BBC drama Lovejoy. Her film roles include Monica in Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies, Agnes Scott in Every Picture Tells A Story, and Janie in Another Time, Another Place, for which she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress and the BAFTA for Most Outstanding Newcomer to Film in 1984.

Also in a strong support cast is Rebecca Johnson, who plays the role of Garry’s wife, Liz Essendine. She has performed with the RSC and the National Theatre many times, including Wendy and Peter Pan for the former, and on television credits include the role of Sally in The Trip and The Trip to Italy with Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan and she played Sister Spencer in Casualty 1906, while Zoë Boyle is well known on television for her role as Lavinia Swire, Matthew Crawley’s fiancée in series two of Downton Abbey.

This brand new production runs from Monday, August 15t to Saturday, August 20, as part of a UK tour and is produced by Theatre Royal Bath Productions Ltd.