A Noel Coward classic drops into Richmond Theatre next week, with Felicity Kendal headlining a stellar cast.

The Good Life actress stars opposite Simon Shepherd, of Peak Practice fame, as Judith Bliss, a recently-retired once star-of-the-stage.

Shepherd plays her egocentric novelist husband David and together they have two adult children, Sorel and Simon.

The Bohemian gaggle defies everything a respectable English family ought to be - they are unconventional but also rude to their guests.

So when they all invite a guest to their rural Berkshire retreat, the visitors are thrown into a living melodrama.

For Shepherd, the beauty of the play is Coward's infectious sense of humour which leaves audiences crying with laughter.

"It is a comedy of manners," he says. "It hasn't got a huge plot as such and you see them in the situation of these four guests and it is terribly funny.

"The characters are all strong and contrasting - it is a wonderful play."

Shepherd appeared as a pompous Tory in The Duck House on its UK tour and again during its stint in the West End.

He says: "Of course it was written by Coward in 1925 but it is very modern in terms of structure and the jokes.

"The audience sit there howling with laughter and, to be honest, I think they are relieved that it's not them who are being mistreated by the Bliss family."

Speaking about working alongside a stage stalwart such as Kendal, he admits it was an easy sell to take on the play.

He says: "She is fantastic, I didn't know her before and she is an extraordinarily good actress.

"Her part is the one that holds the whole thing together - she is on stage the whole time while the rest of us come and go.

"She is absolutely brilliant to work with."

Hay Fever; Richmond Theatre, Little Green, Richmond; September 15-20, Mon-Sat evenings 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday matinees 2.30pm; tickets £10 - £29.50 (premium seats £35); for more details, visit atgtickets.com/richmond.