ACTOR Ian Richardson plays an eccentric millionaire deceived by a charming young man in The Creeper, a psychological thriller coming to Malvern Theatres.

Ian is well-known for playing Machiavellian politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy but his character in The Creeper is very different.

He describes Edward Kimberley as "an elderly gentleman who hasn't really grown up". The millionaire still plays with his Hornby train set and shoots arrows dressed in a Red Indian headdress.

Ian said the creeper in the play's title was not a character but was growing on a tree outside Kimberley's house.

"The creeper is nice looking but destroys the tree's sap," he said, explaining the plant is an allegory for the young opportunist's effect on Kimberley.

Pauline Macauley's play has an all male cast and comes to Malvern Theatres before going to London's West End.

It is a revival of a 1960s play that starred Eric Portman as Kimberley but only ran in the West End for six months because of Portman's film commitments.

"There's a whole generation or maybe two that don't know of its existence," said Ian.

The show runs from Monday, January 30 to Saturday, February 4, at 8pm, with matinees at 2.30pm on Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets cost £16-£24 (£1 concessions for over 60s, under 25s and unwaged) from 01684 892277.