Russell Tovey amongst cast for Radio 4 sitcom Cardboard Heart
The cast has been announced for Richard Marsh: Cardboard Heart, a new Radio 4 sitcom set in a greetings card company.
Created by and starring poet, writer and actor Richard Marsh, the series focuses on Will, an aspiring writer who has a 9-to-5 job coming up with poems and messages for a greetings card company.
Joining Marsh for the sitcom, which will be recorded in front of a live audience, will be a cast including Him & Her star Russell Tovey, and Quadrophenia actor Phil Daniels.
Also confirmed for the series are Sam Troughton (Robin Hood), Rebecca Scroggs (EastEnders) and Jemima Rooper (Blandings).
Talking about the premise, the producers explain: "Paid to express heartfelt emotions for people he will never meet, Will consistently fails to express himself properly to anyone he does meet. Every social interaction is a minefield for Will. In his head, he knows exactly what to say - but the minute he opens his mouth, it's a disaster. Luckily for you, Will shares his inner thoughts with the audience."
Russell Tovey, who is set to film another series of The Job Lot soon, takes on the role of Beast, the card company's "charming renegade salesman". Beast takes every opportunity to make fun of Will - something he gets a lot of opportunities to do as the pair are flatmates.
Meanwhile Rebecca Scroggs will play Goadsby, the woman who shares an office with Will and is responsible for the card artwork. She is Will's nemesis. Sam Troughton is the firm's safety and survival-obsessed accountant Colin, and Phil Daniels has signed up for the role of the company's charming owner, Rog.
Richard Marsh: Cardboard Heart follows on from Richard Marsh: Love And Sweets, which won Best Comedy in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2014.
Talking about Marsh, the producers say: "Richard is a magnetic and charming performer, slipping from rhyme to prose and back again in a fast-paced, accessible way - at times hilarious, at others heart-breaking. Think David Sedaris crossed with Jay-Z. But from Somerset."
The four-part series will be produced by Ben Worsfield at Lucky Giant, with Pia Furtado as the director.
The half-hour episodes will be recorded in front of a live audience at the RADA Studios in London on the 9th and 10th April. To apply to be in the audience see our free tickets page
Richard Marsh: Cardboard Heart will be broadcast on Radio 4 later in the year.