Kenneth Branagh Season's The Painkiller - full cast

The full cast has been announced for The Painkiller, at the Garrick Theatre from 5 March to 30 April 2016, with an official opening set for 17 March. This will be the fifth play in the inaugural Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company season at the Garrick.

Joining the previously announced Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon will be Claudie Blakley (Michelle), Marcus Fraser (Policeman), Mark Hadfield (Vincent) and Alex Macqueen (Dent).

The production is the London transfer of a new comedy adapted and directed by Sean Foley, from the original French farce by Francis Veber. Foley's recent West End credits include 'Jeeves and Wooser - Perfect Nonsense', 'I Can't Sing!' and 'The Ladykillers'.

Synopsis: "Follows two men in two lonely hotel rooms, with one adjoining door. One man is a killer, and the other wants to die. What could possibly go wrong?!"

Sean Foley said of the announcement: "The Painkiller proved to be a very funny evening in the theatre in its first incarnation at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. I'm delighted to have the chance to further develop this comedy with the remarkable double act of Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon, who, together with the brilliant Mark Hadfield, were a joy to direct in the first production. I know that they are excited as I am to also be welcoming to our cast the extraordinary talents of Claudie Blakley, Marcus Fraser and Alex Macqueen, and we will all be working as hard as possible to bring this darkly hilarious farce to explosive life for London audiences."

The plays that make up the inaugural seven play season of work for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company are: The Winter's Tale, Harlequinade, All On Her Own, Red Velvet, The Painkiller, Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer.