Nigel Harman to direct Steven Berkoff double bill

Nigel Harman will direct two one-act Steven Berkoff plays at Trafalgar Studios next month.

Best known for playing Dennis Rickman in EastEnders, his theatre credits include I Can't Sing!, Guys and Dolls and Shrek The Musical, for which he won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

Lunch is about a couple who meet and try to compress an entire relationship into one lunchtime, and The Bow of Ulysses is about a couple examining their failing marriage.

The creative team includes Olivier Award-winning sound designers Ben and Max Ringham, designer Lee Newby, lighting designer Joshua Carr and movement director Alistair David.

Harman said he was "thrilled" to be working on the pieces, and was "struck by the caustic beauty of the writing."

He said: "[Berkoff's] instinct for the human condition, with all it’s flaws and wonders, is unique. I’m intrigued to put these plays on stage and see how an audience will react. They are a challenge to watch."

Lunch and The Bow of Ulysses will run at Trafalgar Studios from 10 October to 5 November, with previews from 6 October.