Ryan Early will play the role of spin doctor Seth Dickens in the world premiere of Party Games! by Michael McManus, presented by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.

Previews will begin on Thursday May 2, with performances until Saturday May 11. The UK Tour schedule has been completed with Cambridge Arts Theatre.

Ryan (Darren Vance in Coronation Street, Dan in Almost Never for BBC and Lee Bryce in The Archers for BBC Radio 4) joins the previously announced Matthew Cottle (Stan Laurel in the film Chaplin, Martin in BBC’s Game On, ITV’s Unforgotten, Dave in BBC’s Citizen Khan and Edward in Channel 4’s The Windsors) as Prime Minister John Waggner, Debra Stephenson (Diane Powell in Playing the Field, Shell Dockley in Bad Girls, and Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street) as Deputy Leader Lisa Williams, and Natalie Dunne (Anna Schmidt in The Third Man  at Menier Chocolate Factory, Your Christmas Or Mine? for Amazon and Trying for Apple TV) as Anne Waggner, the Prime Minister’s wife.

Krissi Bohn, who for three years was Jenna Kamara in Coronation Street, is Private Secretary Candice Edwards, Jason Callender (Upstart Crow and The Play That Goes Wrong in the West End) is would-be Chief of Staff Luke Roberts while William Oxborrow (The Madness of George III at the National Theatre and the title role in The Picture of Dorian Gray at Gate Theatre, Dublin) plays multiple roles.

Directed by the director and chief executive of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Joanna Read, Party Games! is written by a man who was on the inside of party politics. Michael McManus worked in central office while Margaret Thatcher and John Major were Prime Ministers and as a special adviser to a number of UK ministers between 1992 and 1995.

He was then head of Ted Heath’s private office from 1995 to 2000 and the Conservative Party candidate for Watford in 2001.

Party Games! is set in the UK in 2026. John Waggner, newly elected leader of the hastily formed centrist One Nation Party, presides over a hung parliament, a discontented electorate and striking cheesemakers.

He and his power-hungry MPs must cling onto authority through whatever shaky means possible. Can one man, a Svengali spin doctor, and some dodgy data unite the country? And what role can his wife, the King and a large spider play in keeping the lights on, not to mention his trusty AI?

Party Games! is an Yvonne Arnaud original production, with lighting design by Chris Davey and sound design and original music by Beth Duke.

Performances are from Thursday 2 to Saturday May 11, but excluding Sunday 5 and Monday 6.

The Tuesday to Saturday evening performances are at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets are from £29, concessions from £13.

Age guidance is 12+, although the performance does contain swearing.

For more information and to book tickets, visit yvonne-arnaud.co.uk, or contact the box office on 01483 440000 (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm).