Actress Kathy Burke will direct a production of Karen McLachlan's Betty at the Vaudeville beginning July 9. The one-woman show, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival two years ago, will star Geraldine McNulty, who performed the play at the Lyric Hammersmith in a previous production. The Vaudeville is an ideal size for a play of this type, as it is one of the smallest in the West End and, despite the "barrier" of a traditional proscenium arch, it has a very intimate feel.

Although both the play and McNulty's performance were praised during these earlier outings, press and public interest is likely to focus on Kathy Burke as director. Burke's range as an actress covers devastatingly bleak films like "Nil By Mouth" and outrageous comedies like the television sitcom "Gimme Gimme Gimme."

She is probably best-known, however, for her television comedy sketches with Harry Enfield. More recently she has proved herself as a director, too, and currently has a production of Kosher Harry at the Royal Court's studio space, the Royal Court Upstairs.

—By Paul Webb Theatrenow