A TALE of an Italian underworld comes to Bath in a 16-strong cast production led by an award winning actor.

Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Pennington lead the cast in Mike Poulton’s new version of Eduardo De Filippo’s The Syndicate.

The play is a dark comedy about the Italian underworld and is coming to the Theatre Royal Bath from September 5 to September 10.

The cast also features Oliver Cotton and Cherie Lunghi and is being directed by Sean Mathias.

Don Antonio rules the Naples underbelly with a rod of iron, providing a form of rough justice for the criminals of Naples who have no other access to the law.

When a respectable but poor young man decides to murder his father, he visits Don Antonio for advice.

The Neapolitan ‘Godfather’ emerges from the shadows to make the young man’s father an offer he can’t resfuse.

Ian McKellen is starring as Don Antonio Barracano, with notable past on the stage including Macbeth, Waiting For Godot and King Lear.

Since he started acting in 1961 he has worked non-stop on stage and screen performing in the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and New York.

He has received Oscar nominations for the role of James Whale in the film Gods and Monsters and his second for Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings.

Michael Pennington plays Dr Fabio and has been a leading Bath actor for 30 years with theatre credits including The Master Builder, Collaboration and Taking Sides.

Tickets, priced �21.50, are available from the box office on 01225 448844 or via www.theatreroyal.org.uk