THE UK tour of the world premiere of the comedy Monogamy will begin at Malvern’s Festival Theatre next month.

Torben Betts’s new play stars Olivier and Evening Standard award-winner Janie Dee as Caroline Mortimer in the play which runs for four days from Wednesday, May 2 to Saturday, May 5.

Joining the cast are Charlie Brooks (Eastenders) and Patrick Ryecart (The Crown, Poldark) as Sally and Mike, alongside Jack Archer (Quaint Honour) as Leo, Genevieve Gaunt (The Royals) as Amanda and Jack Sandle (The Tudors) as Graeme.

Basically the play features Caroline Mortimer, the nation’s favourite TV cook, who seemingly has it all. A sparkling career, a big house in Highgate, a (golf) loving husband, smart kids and the best kitchen money can buy.

But beneath the immaculate furnishings and studio lighting and away from the glare of the ever-present cameras, Caroline must face the looming collision of living a private life in the public eye.

What happens when the cameras turn off and the truth comes out?

Janie Dee is currently starring in the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. Her other West End credits include Carousel (National Theatre), for which she won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Comic Potential (Lyric Shaftesbury), for which she also won the Olivier, Evening Standard Critic’s Circle, Obie and Theatre World Awards for Best Actress, Mack & Mabel (Criterion Theatre), and the list goes on.

Meanwhile her TV credits include Suki in the TV film version of Harold Pinter’s Celebration, Emma Lavenham in the Adam Dalgliesh TV mini-series Death in Holy Orders and The Murder Room, and regular character Remy in London’s Burning (ITV).

Torben Betts said of his new play, “I'm delighted that The Original Theatre Company and Ghost Light Theatre Production are producing my new play after they did such a fine job with their two touring productions of Invincible.

“I'm also very much looking forward to working with Janie Dee again after she starred in my adaptation of The Seagull at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre a few years ago. There are elements of that play in Momogamy, in that it's about, amongst other things, the conflict between an unhappy middle-aged celebrity and her angry son who feels very much at war with the modern world.

“As with Invincible I have attempted to take the pulse of the nation and, though I don't offer a cure for the self-evident sickness, I hope I have come up with a play which will make people laugh as much as it might prompt them to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions about the way we are living our lives right now.”

Charlie Brooks is best known for playing Janine Butcher in EastEnders on BBC1, for which she won the British Soap award for Villain of the Year (2004) and Best Exit (2005). Charlie was also nominated for Most Popular Newcomer and Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards.

Patrick Ryecart’s is a most recognisable face and his most recent TV credits include playing the Duke of Norfolk in The Crown (Netflix) and Sir Hugh Bodrugan in series 1 and 2 of Poldark (ITV). His other extensive TV and film roles include Lord Wigram in The King’s Speech opposite Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, the lead role of Captain Hilary Duff in The High Life( BBC 2), Crown Prince Rudolf in Lillie (ITV) and De Bernis in the 1987 film Casanova.

His credits on stage are considerably extensive.

This national tour will be produced by Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company, Ghost Light Theatre Production and Eilene Davidson and tickets are on sale at the Box Office 01684 892277 and online at malvern-theatres.co.uk.