The venue isn't a conventional theatre, but rather the gay London nightclub Heaven on Villiers Street. Bedella will be play the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask. The show opened Off-Broadway on Valentine’s Day in 1998, later winning an Obie for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. A film version was released in summer 2001. Hedwig tells the story of “a sad, lonely girly-boy in East Berlin [who becomes] . . .a cross between Frank n Furter and Farrah Fawcett . . . [a] psychotic glam rock diva.”

Hedwig will play London as part of the Pride Festival 2005 between June 17 and July 1 with no show on Saturdays. Official opening night is Monday, June 20.

Bedella won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Springer, a role he also filmed for BBC television (he also features in the live CD recording). More recently, he appeared in a private workshop for Springer producer Jon Thoday’s next project — a musical of It’s a Wonderful Life in which — by way of contrast — he played an angel.

John Mayer will direct and double as musical director for Hedwig. The production designer is Ben M. Rogers. Costumes will be designed by Claire Bilyard, and sound design will be by Gareth Owen for Orbital. K.T. Newman will play Yitzhak.

For more information, call (0)8700 600 100.