Simon Lipkin to replace Harry Peacock in Brian and Roger – A Highly Offensive Play at the Menier

Simon Lipkin (Ghost Stories, Assassins) will join the upcoming world premiere of Brian & Roger – A Highly Offensive Play, which begins its run at the Menier Chocolate Factory from later this week.

Lipkin will replace Harry Peacock (who appears alongside Dan Skinner in the hit podcast Brian and Roger, which the piece is based on) after Peacock was forced to withdraw after developing lupus. The show follows a pair who meet at a support group for divorced men.

Peacock said today: "I'm enormously grateful to Simon for stepping in at such short notice to enable the run of Brian and Roger to go ahead as planned at the Menier.

"Stepping back from the show was an incredibly difficult decision, but ultimately the right one for my health and the production, and I can't wait to enjoy the show from the comfort of the auditorium. There may however be action if he's better than me…"

Lipkin joins the show with one week and two days' rehearsals – he has 43 monologues and over 700 lines of text to learn.

Running to 18 December 2021, the piece will open the Menier's new performance space, "The Mixing Room". The show has set and costume design by Robert Jones, video design by Timothy Bird, lighting design by Paul Anderson, and sound design by Gregory Clark.

Lipkin said in a comment this morning: "Can you please go away. I'm trying to learn my lines."

Tickets are on sale below.