The Hollow Crown, one of the most successful plays ever to be produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, has been revived with an illustrious cast at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.

Combining great writing with great acting, it's a funny, moving and fascinating collection of speeches, letters and diary excerpts written by, or about, monarchs of England.

Speeches include Shakespearean monologues through to Malory's Morte D'Arthur; and from a 15-year-old Jane Austen's "partial, prejudiced and ignorant" account of the monarchy to Queen Victoria's naively moving account of her coronation.

Directed by John Barton, who devised The Hollow Crown for the RSC in 1961, the production stars Susannah York, Donald Sinden, Richard Johnson and Clive Francis (pictured).

Susannah York made her name in the 1960s as the beautiful object of Albert Finney's obsession in Tom Jones, then for a nude lesbian scene in The Killing of Sister George. In 1969 she was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress in They Shoot Horses Don't They. Big-screen appearances such as the Superman films have been mixed with a long theatrical career, recently including Picasso's Women.

Donald Sinden's distinctive voice has been heard since the 1940s. As a member of the RSC he has starred in King Lear and Othello, while his film career includes The Cruel Sea, Doctor in the House and Doctor at Large.

Despite allegedly turning down the role of James Bond in Dr No, Richard Johnson has had a long and illustrious career, including playing the debonair and Bond-like Bulldog Drummond in Deadlier than the Male. Regularly seen in major films, his credits include Khartoum, Julius Caesar and, more recently, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Clive Francis has also had a long and distinguished career both on stage and screen, and was recently seen at the Yvonne Arnaud in Travels with My Aunt.

He is also a caricaturist and illustrator, with several books published including There is Nothing Like a Dane!, The Lighter Side of Hamlet.

Performances take place from Monday to Saturday. Tickets, ranging in price from £11 to £23.50, are available from the box office on 01483 440000.