Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? drama revived

Rory Bremner is to play Chris Tarrant in a revival of Quiz, the drama about the cheating scandal that engulfed Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The show, by playwright James Graham, explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, the ‘coughing Major’, who is said to have conned the TV show out of £1million in 2001.

It was first staged at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017, before transferring to the West End – and was then made into a 2020 ITV mini-series in 202 starring Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford.

In the stage show, the audience are given keypads – as in the TV quiz – to vote on whether Ingram is guilty or not.

Bremner said: ‘I’m very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public's imagination to a live audience every night.

‘I didn't have to phone-a-friend. It wasn't even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience!’

In an interview with The Times today, Bremner said: ‘God help my wife, because for five months she’s going to be living with Chris Tarrant.’

But he confessed he was an acquaintance of the former Millionaire host, adding: ‘I enjoy his company. He’s kind of a larger-than-life character.’

Quiz will return to Chichester Festival Theatre from September 22 to 30, then embarking on a nine-week UK tour, winding up in Birmingham on December 2 - full details are on the production's website. It is directed by the Chichester venue’s artistic director Daniel Evans.

Published: 20 Jan 2023