30 OCTOBER 2001
Is Kenneth Branagh’s new project art imitating life, or life imitating art? The Northern Irish actor-director, once touted as the new Olivier, has enlisted a whole raft of celebrities to appear as themselves in the West End production The Play Wot I Wrote.

Kylie Minogue and Victoria Beckham have already been pencilled in to tread the boards of the Wyndham Theatre in the Branagh-directed play, which is a homage to seminal British comedy duo Morecambe & Wise. Starting Bonfire Night November 5, the pop singers will appear as “surprise” star guests who are humiliated by the two funnymen, played by Hamish McColl and Sean Foley.

A source close to the Spice Girl is quoted as saying: “Victoria has always dreamed of appearing in the West End. Now it seems her wish is to come true.” Although she has acted before – albeit playing herself in the celluloid pastiche Spice World - Mrs Beckham spent almost a decade at theatre school in Hertfordshire, where she won the Shakespeare award for most promising actress. The establishment’s owner, Joy Spriggs, said of her: “I knew Victoria was special. She had natural talent and you just had to watch her.”

Other famous people who have been approached to appear include Victoria’s Spice World co-star Richard E Grant, fellow actors Keanu Reeves, Jude Law, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, John Sessions and supermodel Naomi Campbell. During previews in the provinces, the celebrity guest role has been taken by Richard Wilson, the star of One Foot In The Grave.