Kris Marshall returns to stage after crash

Comedy actor Kris Marshall made his debut in the West End comedy play Fat Pig last night as planned, three weeks after suffering head injuries when he was hit by a car during a night out in Bristol.

The former My Family actor, who was in intensive care for period following the accident, received a round of applause after last night's first preview performance at the Trafalgar Studios theatre in central London. The audience said Marshall showed no ill effects from the accident during his time on stage. The actor thanked well-wishers afterwards, and admitted it was "scary" to return to the stage.

Fat Pig, which also stars Joanna Page, Robert Webb and Ella Smith, is a comedy about an average guy called Tom (Webb) who falls for a bright, funny, sexy young woman who happens to be a bit plus-sized - and then some! As their romance starts it's only so long before the insults start to fly from Tom's shallow yet funny office buddies (including Marshall).

The play's writer and director Neil LaBute said to BBC News: "It [the accident] was pretty serious yet he bounced back incredibly quickly. We all feared the worst, so it's amazing to have Kris back after what he's gone through."

The comedy, which received good reviews during an American Broadway run in 2004, is scheduled to run at the Trafalgar Studios until September. The British Sitcom Guide has five pairs of tickets to giveaway: enter here