Withnail and I creator Bruce Robinson adapts film for the stage

Play based on the beloved 1987 comedy will open at Birmingham Rep next year directed by Sean Foley

It is one of British cinema’s most quotable comedies: a tale of destitute London actors “drifting into the arena of the unwell” who go on holiday by mistake to the Lake District. Now, the inebriated world of Withnail and I – complete with the notorious super-sized joint called the Camberwell carrot – is destined for the stage, adapted by the much-loved 1987 film’s writer-director, Bruce Robinson.

The play will have its world premiere at the Birmingham Rep in May, directed by Sean Foley, who described Withnail and I as “part of the furniture of British comedy” and said “if it wasn’t so funny, it would be tragic”.