IT MAY only take three major players and a smattering of supporting roles to perform Tom Stoppard's Rosencratz and Guildenstern are Dead but for director Jill Penwarden, who brings the show to Kings Langley next week, it's a been a long time coming together.

"I've wanted to direct it for years, ever since I saw John Stride and Edward Petherbridge in the National's production at The Old Vic," says Jill. "I saw it in 1967 but I couldn't have done it even ten years ago, so I took the opportunity to do it now because we have two young men in the company who have worked together a lot and are good friends."

The play, best remembered in the 1990 film starring Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and Richard Dreyfusss, centres on two bit characters from Hamlet, who seem to be left behind as the play gathers momentum. Stoppard's existentialist play picks up from where Shakespeare's tragedy leaves off with Rosencratz and Guildenstern seemingly inhabiting a parallel universe alongside Hamlet's characters, where they can observe but not interact with the action. Jon Musker plays the philosophical Guildenstern whilst his non-cerebral friend, Rosencrantz, is played by Nick Davey. As the plot develops the two characters are lead to wonder if they are alive at all or just in suspended animation.

Jill says that keeping them apart from the other actors on stage is key to the production.

"We've added an extra thrust to the stage, which means they're almost slap bang in the audience when they play dice and watch as the court scenes unfold."

The play will be at The Community Centre, Kings Langley from Wednesday, May 16 to Saturday, May 19 at 7.45pm. Details: 07906 695959