BLACK Country actress Josie Lawrence is returning to Birmingham Repertory Theatre to star in Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist play - Amédée.

Rarely performed in the UK, the play which was written in 1954 tells the story of frustrated playwright Amédée, his wife Madeleine, their very big secret, and what happens when they try to get rid of it.

Old Hill born Josie Lawrence, who was a regular on TV's Whose Line Is It Anyway?, stars as Madeleine following previous lead roles in The REP’s productions of The Cherry Orchard, Hapgood and Frozen; while Trevor Fox, whose theatre credits include The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time and Billy Elliot, plays the title role of Amédée.

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Adapted for the stage by Sean Foley - it is set to run at The Studio at The REP, Centenary Square, Broad Street, from Friday February 24 to Saturday March 11.

Director Roxana Silbert said: “I’m thrilled to be giving life to Ionesco’s little known but brilliant play, Amédée. Josie Lawrence and Trevor Fox capture the despair and absurdity of Ionesco's loveable, frustrating characters with an endless supply of wit, warmth and depth.

“The play is about the skeleton in the closet, it’s about the things that you don’t talk about but really should confront, the things that stop you living, loving, creating.

"Written just after the Second World War, it captures the struggle of two ordinary people trying to survive personal chaos surrounded by political upheaval, contained by a military presence, and where suspicion of your neighbours is rife.

"In 2017, absurdism seems to make a great more sense than real life, and Sean's adaptation hones in on the comedy and pain of trying to make sense of a senseless world.”

Tickets for the show are priced from £15 and are available from the box office on 0121 236 4455 or online at birmingham-rep.co.uk