It’s springtime for Peter...

11:48am Thursday 9th November 2006

PETER Kay will fulfil a lifelong dream when he stars in the comedy musical The Producers in Manchester next year.

The Bolton comedian will play the role of Roger De Bris in the stage version of Mel Brook's hit film, which runs at the Palace Theatre for 12 weeks from February 16.

The news comes after Peter mentioned his wish to appear in the musical in his bestselling autobiography, The Sound of Laughter.

In his book, he says: "For many years I harboured a secret ambition to turn The Producers into a stage musical. I even went so far as to write a rough stage adaptation for it in an old geography exercise book... a stage adaptation was made a few years ago and, thankfully, it was written and devised by its original creator Mel Brooks with great love and affection.

"Maybe I might get a chance to be in it one day . . . who knows?"

And now he will be playing the flamboyant drag queen Roger De Bris, hired by producer Max Bialystock and accountant Leo Bloom to direct the musical Springtime for Hitler, with the intention of putting on a theatrical flop in a devious money-making plan.

Peter said: "I've always been a huge fan of The Producers, ever since I first saw it when I was eleven.

"For years my ambition was to turn it into a stage musical and then it was eventually rewritten into a musical by Mel Brooks himself.

"I first saw it in London a couple of years ago when it opened and it was above and beyond anything I imagined.

"In fact, it was much better than the original film, which I didn't expect at all."

Cory English and Reece (The League of Gentlemen) Shearsmith have taken the main roles in the West End run of the show. Some of the London cast will star in the Manchester run, but the full cast has yet to be announced.

The Oscar-winning 1967 film originally starred Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the title roles, while the multi-award winning Broadway production starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

A Mel Brooks film remake of The Producers, based on the stage musical, came out in 2005.

Peter said: "I'm looking forward to the challenge. It'll be something completely different and, as they say, variety is the spice of life.

"This year I wrote a book which was a new challenge, next year it will be The Producers - then who knows? Although I can't really see myself on Broadway."

Peter will be on the Parkinson show on Saturday, BBC One, 10.30pm.

• Tickets for the Manchester run of The Producers are on sale from Monday from the Palace box office.

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