Tom Hiddleston to star in BBC broadcast of The Play What I Wrote

Thursday 13th January 2022, 5:38pm

The Play What I Wrote. Image shows from L to R: Dennis Herdman, Thom Tuck, Tom Hiddleston

The BBC is to broadcast a recording of live stage show The Play What I Wrote, featuring guest star Tom Hiddleston.

The comedy play, which was first performed in 2001, is a celebration of Morecambe & Wise. Written by and starring Hamish McColl and Sean Foley with material from the late Eddie Braben, the script focuses on two characters who are aiming to put on a production.

The original blurb explains: "Hamish has written a play, an epic set in the French Revolution called A Tight Squeeze for the Scarlet Pimple. Sean, on the other hand, wants to continue with their double act. He believes that if they perform a tribute to Morecambe and Wise, Hamish's confidence will be restored and the double act will go on. But first Sean needs to persuade a guest star to appear in the play what Hamish wrote..."

Notably, the second half of the play features a guest star. Ewan McGregor, Joanna Lumley, Daniel Radcliffe and Kylie Minogue are amongst those to have appeared previously.

The latest staging of the show, a 20th anniversary production, which stars Dennis Herdman and Thom Tuck as Dennis and Thom, launched at Birmingham Rep last year, with Tom Hiddleston appearing on 6th December. This performance scored a number of four and five star press reviews.

With the play now on tour, Hiddleston was invited to appear again at the Theatre Royal in Bath last night (Wednesday 12th January). BBC cameras were in attendance for the two performances, with the resultant footage set to be broadcast later this year.

A review in Wiltshire Times notes of Hiddleston's involvement: "His surprise entrance on stage delighted the audience, who burst into spontaneous applause, and enlivened the second half of the production."

Speaking about the BBC recording, the play's producers confirm: "The transmission date will be announced in due course."

Below is video footage of Hiddleston appearing at Birmingham Rep:

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