YORK panto star Martin Barrass will stage his comeback from devastating injuries in a world premiere about the English Civil War, alongside fellow York actor Mark Addy.

Hull Truck Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company are co-producing The Hypocrite, a farce written by Olivier Award winning writer Richard Bean, who was behind One Man, Two Guvnors and Made in Dagenham.

The play, a ‘riotous comedy’ inspired by the infamous moment when King Charles I was denied entry to Hull at Beverley Gate- which began the English Civil War - is to be staged in Hull before transferring to the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in the spring.

Martin has said he will play the Mayor of Hull, while Mark Addy, star of BBC TV’s Atlantis, Game of Thrones and The Full Monty, will play Sir John Hotham.

Renowned screen and stage actor Caroline Quentin, of TV’s Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek, will play Sir John’s wife, Lady Sarah Hotham.

Martin Green, CEO and Director Hull 2017, said:”With Mark Addy and Caroline Quentin as the leads, speaking Richard Bean’s words, this production promises to be very special indeed.”

Mark Babych, artistic director at Hull Truck Theatre, said The Hypocrite was the fastest selling show since it opened its building on Ferensway.

Martin Barrass won a standing ovation when he was invited on to the stage at York Theatre Royal last Friday on the second night of the panto Cinderella.

The 60-year-old was unable to take part as usual after being badly injured in a motorbike crash in September but was in the audience.

He told The Press earlier last week how police told him he was the “luckiest man on the planet” after surviving 17 broken ribs, a “mashed” liver and a fractured ankle in the crash near Skipton, after which his heart had stopped for five minutes.