Rory Bremner to star as Chris Tarrant in a UK tour of James Graham’s Quiz

Rory Bremner is to star as Chris Tarrant in a UK tour of James Graham’s acclaimed Quiz.

The hit play explores the real-life story of Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, who conned the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire out of £1,000,000. Or did he?

The Olivier-nominated drama ran in the West End in 2018 following its premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre. In 2020, it was adapted into a TV series on ITV1 starring Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford.

Quiz now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023.

Impressionist and renowned comedian Rory will star as Tarrant, saying: “I’m very excited about this; not just the challenge of playing Chris Tarrant in long form but bringing the scandal that really caught the public’s imagination to a live audience every night. What really happened? The jury’s out- and this time it’s you!

“I didn’t have to phone-a-friend. It wasn’t even 50/50. This was a role I had to take on, with A: a brilliant director; B: a terrific script; C: a different audience live each night; and D: a story that divides opinion to this day. Final answer? Ask the audience!”

Quiz tour tickets, dates and venues »

September 2001: The nation is gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. In an outrageously audacious heist, Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s most popular TV quiz show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, out of £1,000,000.

Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Quiz is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones, and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Ginny Schiller CDG