A central figure in British theatre has spoken about staring in a new comedy based on the classic novel The Time Machine that will be staged in Malvern next month.

Dave Hearn is a founding member of Mischief Theatre, creators of West End mega-hit The Play That Goes Wrong and multiple other successful comedies.

Since forming at drama school, the company have won multiple awards, taken several productions to Broadway, and fronted their own BBC comedy series.

But now, Hearn is branching out on his own to star in a new comedy based on H.G. Wells’s classic The Time Machine.

“I’ve been wanting to take a mini break from Mischief for a while,” he said, “and this felt like the right moment to step away.”

The central conceit of The Time Machine – which sees a theatre troupe attempt to stage a production of the great sci-fi novel only to find events spiral out of control – sounds just like the sort of thing Mischief might come up with.

“In some ways it is similar,” agrees Hearn, “though I’d say it’s less reliant on big set pieces and more focused on the relationships between the characters. I think it’s possibly more intellectually challenging, in the nicest way!”

He adds that he was impressed with the script, by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, who “have done a brilliant job” with the adaptation.

Hearn’s character, aptly called Dave, is Wells’s great-great grandson. In the play, he makes a significant discovery that has the potential to alter not just the fate of the drama company, but much more besides.

He’s joined in the cast of Orla O’Loughlin’s production by Michael Dylan and Amy Revelle. Hearn reveals he originally auditioned for Dylan’s role, but quickly realised he wasn’t right. It therefore came as a relief when producers Original Theatre, whose acclaimed productions include Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd and Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, invited him to read for Dave.

He is also relishing getting to grips with the script, which he says is a “great introduction” to The Time Machine. The book, which first appeared in 1895, continues to influence modern science fiction. It centres on a Victorian inventor who builds a machine capable of transporting him far into the future.

The Time Machine comes to Malvern Theatres from Tuesday, March 28 to Saturday, April 1.

For tickets visit: https://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/time-machine-comedy/ or call the Box Office on 01684 892277.