Frances de la Tour takes on the role of Violet in Vicious...

What attracted you to Vicious?

It's extremely well-written and very funny. I was also attracted by the fact that I was going to be working with Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. Gary Janetti's credentials are extraordinary, too. He is such a talented writer and has worked on my favourite sitcoms, Will & Grace and Family Guy. What a stroke of luck!

Can you please give us your assessment of Gary's writing?

He is so clever at writing jokes. He is also very fastidious about it. He tells us, "If you say that line without 'oh', you've lost a beat", and we think, 'Oh my God, he's completely right.' It's like music - you have to stick to the notes.

Have you worked with Ian and Derek before?

Yes. A decade ago I did a year with Ian in Strindberg's Dance of Death in the West End, before we took it to Australia. I'd also done a fundraiser with Derek. Now I think, "Thank God I'm having the chance to work with them both". There comes a point where you reach a certain age and think, "Why haven't I worked with so-and-so before?" So I was thrilled to be offered this opportunity to collaborate with them both.

Please outline your character for us...

Violet is a free spirit. You imagine she was quite a gal in the 1960s. She has a great sense of fun and adventure.

How does she get on with Freddie and Stuart?

She's a very, very dear friend who would never let the two men down, and - as vicious as they are to her - they would never let her down, either. If, for instance, Violet was about to end up in an Argentine detention centre, they would come to her aid and rescue her. It's about loyalty. They also need each other. They need her to bring in her outside-world flurry.

They may say to her, "That's dreadful - we don't want that here", but they want to hear about that world before they reject it. Their flat is wonderful for her because she was has somewhere to
go. Even though she's horribly teased by Freddie and Stuart - all the oldies in this sitcom have a tremendous capacity for viciousness - she likes hanging out with them because they accept her. She feels she can tell them anything - and she does. It's been the most wonderful fun to play.