Sir Kenneth Branagh's sister teams up with a actor from The Office in a play coming to stages in Sheringham and Great Yarmouth.
Called Two, the play is described as a hilarious yet heart-breaking dip into working-class life in a northern local pub in the 1980s.
Joyce Branagh - Sir Kenneth's younger sister - and Howard Saddler, who played Oliver in the second season of The Office - take multiple roles in the play, including a controlling husband, flirtatious fiancé, sad widower, carer wife, mischievous mistress and a lost boy.
Ms Branagh said she was looking forward to reprising her roles in Two, after first starting in the play 10 years ago.
She said: “It is very clever script which is full of humour but with some heart-wrenching moments. Playing so many different characters, and quickly switching between them, is a challenge but great fun.”
Directed by Marcus Romer and written by Jim Cartwright, Two will take place in the bars at St George’s Theatre, Great Yarmouth on June 22-23 and at Sheringham Little Theatre on June 25-26, with performances starting at 7.30pm.
Ms Branagh and Mr Saddler have met before - when their acting and directing paths crossed 20 years ago. They are currently rehearsing via Zoom and looking forward to meeting face-to-face to bring the work to the boil.
Two is a 'mini soap-opera' which explores the emotions, tensions, relationships and interconnections among the regulars in a funny but poignant plot.
And there are twists in the tale as the landlord and landlady reveal the anniversary of a tragic moment in their own lives which they have had to deal with ever since.
Ms Branagh has been busy in lockdown thanks to her a varied skills, including writing a panto, directing a new comedy, creating a sequel to her Ladies That Bus play, and acting as a barrister in Coronation Street in an episode airing on June 23.
“It’s really nice to do a bit of everything because it uses different muscles in your head, and it helps you do the other jobs better because you understand where an actor, writer or director is coming from,” she said.
Tickets for Two are available through the theatres’ websites www.stgeorgestheatre.com and www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here