The Birthday Party to embark on a new tour starring Michelle Collins, Tristan Gemmill and more

A brand new tour of The Birthday Party will open in April, it has been announced.

The tour of Harold Pinter's play will start in Cheltenham and is directed by the city's Everyman Theatre creative director Paul Milton. Appearing in the show will be Michelle Collins (Calendar Girls), Tristan Gemmill (The Bodyguard) and Paul Hickey (Children of the Sun). Further casting is to be announced.

The production will open at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham from 2 to 11 April (with press night on 7 April) followed by The Lowry Quays (14 to 18 April), Oxford Playhouse (21 to 25 April), Guildford Yvonne Arnaud (28 April to 2 May), Edinburgh Kings (5 to 9 May), Norwich Theatre Royal (12 to 16 May), Cardiff New (26 to 30 May), Richmond Theatre (2 to 6 June) and Milton Keynes Theatre (9 to 13 June).

Pinter's classic comedy of menace is set in a boarding house, and follows a group of fractious characters arriving on a birthday.

The Birthday Party has design by Dawn Allsopp, lighting design by Michael Hall and sound design by Steve Anderson.