Twelfth Night, Stratford upon Avon
With Richard Wilson heading the cast as Malvolio, tickets are also going to sell like hot cakes.
But there's also plenty of humour to be had from TV and film favourite James Fleet. Instantly-recognisable as hapless Hugo from The Vicar of Dibley and Tom in Four Weddings and a Funeral, he does seem to make a popular habit of playing well-meaning but terribly nice idiots. And now he's adding sword-fighting, tree-climbing and generally skipping about to his latest performance as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the Shakespeare comedy.
He insists there's something more sinister waiting to get out.
"I used to want to play a Bond villain, a cold cruel baddie like the guy in Casino Royale," he says.
"I think I have untold depths of nastiness which need to get out, stoppered villainy waiting to erupt!"
Then he laughs, but it's one which leaves you unsure as to whether he's joking or not.
He's certainly not complaining about his high-profile screen roles though.
"It's nice that people know you for something," he says.
"I spent years and years where people didn't know what they had seen me in, so it was nice to be in something that had been seen by people all around the world.
"I've worked the whole waterfront of playing stupid people. It's nice to play someone clever from time to time, and I've done that in the last three plays, so to be stupid again is like coming home. "It's a lot easier to be a funny thick person, but don't try it at home because it can be dangerous."
Again that laugh.
James admits its time to get the piece before the audience, but expects it to be a huge hit. "Not least because its tremendous fun and Richard is hilarious," he says. "He only has to stand and look at you to make you laugh, and there's half a dozen or so terribly serious brilliant actors who do all the versey stuff.
"It's a weird play," he adds, "because everyone knows it, and in some respects it's like panto. But it's also Shakespeare, brilliantly written, and it's on in Stratford.
"So how can you fail to be excited by it and laugh at it? When I see some of the scenes I'm not in, I find it difficult to leave the room because its so beautiful and the language is amazing.
"Our production is very 1800s and romantic, all breeches and lots of stuff around your neck.
"I have a 16-year-old son who doesn't know the play at all, and I've told him to stay that way until he sees this production.
"I think it will be great."
Info
Twelfth Night is at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford, from tonight until November 21. Details on 0844 800 1110.
James Fleet rehearsing for Twelfth Night, coming to Stratford
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