GET down to Knutsford Little Theatre if you want to see a bunch of amateurs.

A Bunch of Amateurs is the title of the play by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman which sees an amateur drama society going to desperate measures to save their theatre.

The council wants to turn their dilapidated building into executive homes, and all seems lost until someone comes up with the suggestion of enticing a well-known celebrity to appear in their next production.

Who would do such a thing? Well, maybe a washed-up Hollywood action hero with an agent who holds a grudge against him. Enter Jefferson Steel - self-absorbed, arrogant and egocentric: just perfect to play King Lear.

The play is based on an original story by John Ross and Jonathan Gershfield, which Hislop and Newman were commissioned to turn into a screenplay.

However, in doing so they realised it is a story that belongs on the stage rather than on the screen so, while the film was moderately successful, the play works much better and is already becoming very popular with amateur theatre groups like Knutsford Little Theatre.

The play’s director, David Muncaster, said: “The egomaniac at the centre of the action is superbly portrayed by Paul Graham who is making his debut for the group. Jefferson Steel is vain and brash, but also vulnerable.

“We first see this on ‘the scene on the heath’ and further evidence of his insecurity comes towards the climax of the play. Paul portrays this with a conviction that will have the audience laughing at him one minute then feeling his pain the next.”

Rachel Perrin plays Dorothy, the leading light of the drama group who is sweetness and charm but with a determination which wrong-foots Jefferson on a number of occasions. Rachel made her debut with KLT in the recent panto.

A more familiar face is Sean Duvall who plays the pompous ‘luvvie’ Nigel with the comic timing that has made him popular with audiences for many years.

Another débutant is Tyler Pirrazzo, who plays Jefferson’s neglected daughter who is determined to make her father pay for her upbringing.

“Tyler is very convincing as a moody teenager, but the performance also demonstrates that Jessica is much more grounded than her father,” added David.

“Lucy Oliver returns to the KLT stage as Lauren, the wife of the show’s sponsor and on first sight, not the brightest lightbulb in the box, but Lucy’s skills as an actress allow us to see that there is a lot more to Lauren than meets the eye.

“Emma Bonfield shone as the dippy Linda in KLT’s last production, Ladies Down Under, and appears here as Mary, a huge fan of Jefferson even if she cannot name any film that he has been in.

“Emma is a versatile actress with an ability to have audiences in fits of giggles with just a facial expression and she makes the most of her talents here.

“The cast is completed with the welcome return of Pete Blain who plays Denis, a star-struck handyman who quickly establishes himself as the Jefferson’s ‘entourage’.

“This year marks 10 years since Pete made his debut with KLT and regular audiences will know he is a very versatile actor who excels at comedy.

“With imaginative staging, a very vocal stage crew and technical aspects to the usual KLT high standards readers are recommended to go along as see what a bunch of amateurs can achieve.”

The play runs from Wednesday, June 6 to Saturday, June 9. Doors open from 7pm. Two for one tickets are available on the opening night at knutsfordlittletheatre.com.