Theatre News

Ben Miller stars in tour of political satire The Duck House ‘prior to West End’

Star of The Armstrong and Miller Show leads new comedy set amid the MPs expenses scandal, which opens in Guildford in October

Theo Bosanquet
London

Comedian Ben Miller is starring in a new play about the MPs expenses scandal later this year, which is tipped to transfer to the West End.

The Duck House, written by Dan Patterson and Colin Swash, is billed as “an outrageous new laugh out loud comedy set in a world of dodgy receipts, dodgier deceit, and pure Parliamentary panic.”

Directed by Olivier Award-winner Terry Johnson (Hysteria, End of the Rainbow), it opens at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford from 23 October to 2 November 2013, before touring to locations including Nottingham and Malvern.

Press material states that the national tour is “prior to West End”.

The comedy is set in May 2009, when Gordon Brown’s government is in meltdown and a General Election is just one year away.

Labour backbencher Robert Houston (Miller) loves being an MP and will do anything to save his seat – including change sides. All is going well with his switch from red to blue until, the expenses scandal breaks.

The title is a reference to the ‘duck house’ claimed by Tory MP Sir Peter Viggers that came to symbolise the scandal.

Ben Miller’s TV credits include Death in Paradise, The Worst Week of My Life and The Armstrong and Miller Show, alongside his comedy partner Alexander Armstrong.

Further “all-star” casting for The Duck House is still to be announced.