The Unfriend, written by Doctor Who's Steven Moffat

Mark Gatiss is to be reunited with his League Of Gentlemen co-star Reece Shearsmith in a new stage comedy.

Gatiss will direct his colleague in The Unfriend, a new play by Doctor Who and Coupling writer Steven Moffat that premieres at the Chichester Festival Theatre in May.

And it is not the only reunion, as the play co-stars Amanda Abbington, who appeared alongside Gatiss in Sherlock – several episodes of which were written or co-written by Moffat.

In The Unfriend, Shearsmith and. Abbington  play a couple, Peter and Debbie, who have been married for 20 years, and who decided to go on a cruise as a break from their annoying teenagers.

Peter can’t resist exchanging views on Donald Trump with an American fellow passenger, even if here’s something slightly unsettling about the eagerly friendly Elsa Jean Krakowski, to be played by Frances Barber.

And when she turns up on their doorstep after they return home, their good nature is challenged as never before – especially when they google their new house guest and uncover some worrying information.

According to the theatre, ‘The Unfriend takes a hugely entertaining and satirical look at middle-class England’s disastrous instinct always to appear nice. Manners can be murder.’

The photo above shows Gatiss and Shearsmith on set of a 2015 episode of Doctor Who, Sleep No More,  written by Gatiss and starring Shearsmith  as Gagan Rassmussen.

The Unfriend – which marks Gatiss’ debut as a stage director – runs from May 21 to July 9. Tickets are on sale now.

Published: 4 Mar 2022