Ian McKellen and Roger Allam-led Frank and Percy to transfer to London

Frank and Percy with Ian McKellen and Roger Allam will transfer to The Other Palace in London.

The show, penned by Ben Weatherill, is based on the connection between two old men who chat on a park bench, as well as the furry friends that spark their friendship. It is directed by Sean Matthias, while also designed by Morgan Large, with lighting design by Nick Richings and sound design by Andy Graham. It first ran at Theatre Royal Windsor in early July, before transferring to Bath.

The production will mark the launch of a new writing development fund at The Other Palace. 50p from each ticket sold on all future productions in the main house, will be used to fund new writing and emerging playwrights.

The Other Palace owner and producer Bill Kenwright said: “In welcoming Ian and Roger to our theatre we are also thrilled to use this limited London run at The Other Palace to launch our new development levy, to enable us to build upon MT Fest, our Musical Bites lunchtime series and Making a Musical podcast to provide further paid opportunities to develop the next generation of theatre makers and writers.”

Frank and Percy will run from 8 September to 3 December 2023. After this, a musical will move into the venue’s main house, to be announced in due course. Paul Taylor-Mills, artistic director at the Other Palace said: “We are very excited to be welcoming two of the biggest stars of British Theatre to The Other Palace for this limited run. Between Ian and Roger, they represent the breadth and range of British theatre, from plays to musicals, demonstrating why London is the heart of the theatrical world.”

WhatsOnStage had the opportunity to sit down with the two stage titans – you can watch the video below.