Larry

Larry opens at Salisbury Playhouse on 11 February, running through to 6 March. It's a new play by Tim Whitnall, who's picked up a BAFTA and an Olivier, and it traces the showbiz life of Larry Grayson, from his early days as a drag artiste to hosting the BBC's The Generation Game, which at its peak drew 25 million viewers.

The play is built around Grayson himself, who carries the audience back and forth through time as he recounts his own life, with the whole thing framed around one of his most momentous performances. It's as much a period piece as a character study: Grayson is described as a man who couldn't sing, dance or act, and who instead perfected a unique comic style to become a national treasure. Behind the glitter, though, it looks at the pain of being gay in an era of criminalisation and stigma, weighing the beauty of dreams and the power of determination against those scars.

On stage, an ensemble cast of seven actors and two children share over 50 roles, with songs performed live. The production is directed by Gareth Machin, Artistic Director at Wiltshire Creative, who's noted that Grayson's camp, deliciously naughty but never crude humour paved the way for comedians like Alan Carr and Julian Clary.

After the Salisbury run, the show moves on to the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich from 10 to 20 March.