Having hosted its world premiere last year, Devonshire Park Theatre is welcoming back The Quiz before it goes on to a short West End run.

The one-man play, starring Harry Potter star David Bradley, was first shown as the culmination of the Eastbourne theatre's Solo Season last year.

"I first read The Quiz nearly two years ago as part of our development work with the New Vic Theatre," says Chris Jordan, the artistic director of Eastbourne Theatres.

"We did a rehearsed reading of it and were able to develop it from a two-act play to the one that came to the Solo Season.

"It was nice to see it develop and develop. It will be interesting to see how its profile is raised from the limited season in London."

This tour will climax with two weeks at London's 300-seater Trafalgar Studios. Chris hopes that if it gets a good reception there will be a further major tour and longer West End run, once David Bradley has completed other commitments.

The Quiz tells the story of an old-school treader of the boards who has been performing his barnstorming solo reading of Dostoyevsky's The Grand Inquisitor for far too many years. But tonight's performance is a little different.

He's fallen out with the woman who has supported him for the last few decades, helped himself to a few sherries to get over it, and now, rather than sticking to his script, is pondering aloud about those greats like Edmund Kean and Tommy Cooper who died on stage.

Dressed in a monk's cassock, with his trainers poking out underneath, David Bradley's performance last year was a tour de force and the new touring version has already garnered positive reviews from the Daily Telegraph.

Aside from a couple of minor tweaks to Brighton-based author Richard Crane's script, the play is the same as the one that came to the Solo Season, with David Giles still in the director's chair.

This week will also see the Devonshire Park Theatre help launch Richard's new Big Brother-influenced piece, Circus Maximus.

This play, which tells the story of five convicted murderers who agree to have their sentences reviewed by the television-watching public, is being examined in three workshops from Wednesday to Friday, June 13 before a free rehearsed reading on the same day.

  • The Quiz: Starts 7.45pm (matinee Weds 2.30pm) tickets from £11. Call 01323 412000. Circus Maximus: Starts 2pm, free. Call 01323 737458 for more information.