Kenneth Branagh Talks THE PAINKILLER

Theatre veterans Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon will star in The Painkiller at the Lyric Theatre. The production will be a new adaptation of the Francis Veber work by Sean Foley. The show will open on September 29.

In an interview with Baz Bamigboye for Daily Mail, Branagh commented on the plot with: "One is trying to kill himself, one is trying to kill somebody else. There's an adjoining door, a toilet that won't work, a dodgy porter and only 90 minutes to sort out both their fates."

He added, "The thing is, though, Sean's a master of physical comedy and he's got us doing all sorts of stretching exercises. He wants us doing yoga and he's pushing us hard, so Rob and I have our work cut out."

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Branagh reavealed in a statement, "The Painkiller is a remarkable play. Sean Foley, the director, is a fantastic talent, familiar to Belfast audiences. When he showed me his modern adaptation of Francis Veber's farce, I knew I wanted to be involved. It's also a particular thrill to partner on stage with the brilliant Rob Brydon...I was lucky enough to begin my career with Graham Reid's Billy, in my home town of Belfast, exactly 30 years ago. I feel equally lucky to be back, and at the Lyric."

Most recently Branagh starred at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield as Richard III. In 2003 he starred in the Royal National Theatre's production of David Mamet's Edmond. Branagh directed The Play What I Wrote in England in 2001 and directed a Broadway production in 2003. From September to November 2008, Branagh appeared at Wyndham's Theatre as the title character in the Donmar West End revival of Anton Chekhov's Ivanov in a new version by Tom Stoppard. His performance was lauded as the "performance of the year" by several critics. It won him the Critics' Circle Award for Best Male Performance but did not get him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination, to the surprise of critics.

For additional information visit: www.lyrictheatre.co.uk.