The Stage

Kudos seeks replacement as Kinnear drops out of Channel 4 show

Published Wednesday 23 April 2008 at 11:40 by Matthew Hemley

Life on Mars producer Kudos Film and Television is to recast a Channel 4 comedy piloted last year with Rory Kinnear, after theatre commitments forced the Olivier Award-winning actor to pull out of a full series.

The pilot of Plus One, written by Tim Allsop and Stewart Williams, was broadcast as part of Channel 4’s Comedy Showcase season in November and was subsequently picked up for a full run, with Kinnear in line to reprise his role as a jilted boyfriend seeking revenge on his ex.

However, Kinnear’s commitments at the National Theatre, where he is currently rehearsing for a production of The Revenger’s Tragedy, mean he is unable to film the comedy when work starts on it next month, leaving Kudos with the task of finding a new leading man.

The production company is now auditioning other potential leads and expects to have one in place in the next week or so.

Executive producer Derek Wax told The Stage: “Rory wanted to do Plus One, but we could not make the dates work. Channel 4 wanted an autumn delivery for the series and he would still be rehearsing while we would need to shoot it. And it would be too late to delay the shoot until he is up and running in the show at the National.”

Wax said losing Kinnear provided an opportunity to find another “good name” for the lead character.

“It is always regrettable when this happens, but we are not mourning it. We have some really good people who could come in and play that role,” he said.

Plus One tells the story of Rob, played by Kinnear in the pilot, whose girlfriend has left him for Duncan James from boy band Blue. When Rob is invited to the pair’s wedding, he sets himself a mission to outshine the couple by finding a particularly beautiful date to accompany him. It is being directed by Sarah O’Gorman.