Steve Pemberton as 'Man in Chair' in The Drowsy Chaperone from 10 July 2007

Steve Pemberton as 'Man in Chair' in The Drowsy Chaperone from 10 July 2007

The League of Gentlemen's Steve Pemberton is to replace Bob Martin as 'Man in Chair' in The Drowsy Chaperone from 10 July 2007 at the Novello Theatre.

He joins Elaine Paige (Drowsy Chaperone), Summer Strallen (Janet van de Graaff), Nickolas Grace (Underling),Selina Chilton (Kitty), Enyonam Gbesmete (Trix), Cameron Jack (Gangster 2), John Partridge (Robert Martin), Adam Stafford (Gangster 1), Joseph Alessi (Aldolpho), Nick Holder (Feldzeig), Sean Kingsley (George), Anne Rogers (Tottendale) and along with ensembleNina French, Mark Goldthorp, Paul Iveson , Sherrie Pennington , and swings Christopher Bennett, Vivienne Carlyle, Mark Dickinson, Lincoln Stone, Kenneth Avery-Clark, Vanessa Barmby.

The show opened at the Novello Theatre on 6 June 2007, following previews from 14 May to mixed notices from the popular press: THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Surprises and delights." THE GUARDIAN says, " For all the energy of Casey Nicholaw's production, I would readily sacrifice the whole of this glitzy charade for 10 minutes of the real thing by Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter or Jerome Kern." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "Delightful show that has a strong claim to being one of the silliest musicals ever written."THE TIMES says, "Affectionate spoof." THE INDEPENDENT says, "The piece fails to work on any level."

Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone has music by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Lighting by Ken Billington and Brian Monahan, with costumes by Gregg Barnes. Sound design is by Acme Sound Partners; orchestrations by Larry Blank and dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly.

To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as "Man in Chair" drops the needle on his favourite LP - the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the uproariously funny musical magically bursts to life on stage, telling the tale of a pampered Broadway starlet who wants to give up show business to get married, her producer who sets out to sabotage the nuptials, her chaperone, the debonair groom, the dizzy chorine, the Latin lover and a pair of gangsters who double as pastry chefs.