DOYEN of stage and television Ian Richardson heads Malvern's new season of impressive dramas.

He stars in The Creeper at Malvern Theatres prior to the West End from January 30. In The Creeper a young opportunist finds his way into the home of a prosperous if eccentric member of the landed gentry with fascinating results.

A collision of wills is explored from February 14 when Tunes of Glory can be seen starring Patrick Ryecart and Stuart McGugan. First a novel, then a legendary film starring Alec Guinness, Hitchcock is said to have considered Tunes of Glory the best movie ever made and this adaptation is sure to set pulses racing.

Ground-breaking theatre company, Shared Experience bring their adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel, Jane Eyre to the Festival Theatre stage from February 21.

Timothy West stars as a British spy in exile in Alan Bennett's play, The Old Country from February 28. When his sister and newly knighted brother-in-law come to visit him and his long-suffering wife, they are forced to re-examine their allegiances.

Two Thousand Years which plays from March 7 touches on the lives and relationships of three generations in a contemporary London Jewish middle-class family. The play sold out its entire run at the National Theatre before its author Mike Leigh had even give it a title.

Best of Friends is a captivating play about friendship and love of learning from April 17 and stars three of the country's best loved actors, Patricia Routledge, Roy Dotrice and Michael Pennington.

Beautiful, passionate and dramatic, John Milton's masterpiece Paradise Lost is an imaginative vision of the fall of mankind. Thrilling and spectacular, this adaptation of the greatest epic poem played to record audiences and huge acclaim and can now be seen at Malvern from May 1. Nominated for countless awards, the hugely successful West End transfer of the Almeida Theatre production of Festen plays at Malvern prior to Broadway. Catch it while you can from May 8.

For comedy lovers everywhere there's loads to keep you laughing in the New Year. There's two Noel Coward plays - Private Lives starring Belinda Lang and Julian Wadham from February 6 and then in March Present Laughter starring Simon Callow. Philip King's classic wartime comedy, See How They Run plays from April 3 and is guaranteed to have you laughing helplessly in the aisles - quite frankly this is one of the funniest comedies ever written. Direct from its West End sell out season, Losing Louis starring Alison Steadman and David Horovitch can be seen from April 24.