John Guare's sharp, vivacious drama Six Degrees Of Separation is inspired by the real life story of a flamboyant con artist who managed to convince wealthy residents of Manhattan's Upper East Side he was the son of Sidney Poitier.

Six Degrees Of Separation received its UK premiere at the Royal Court in 1992, in a production that transferred to the Comedy theatre. It won the 1993 Best New Play Laurence Olivier Award. David Grindley directs the first major UK revival of the play, returning to the Old Vic where he previously directed National Anthems.

The Six Degrees Of Separation cast includes Lesley Manville (Secrets and Lies, Vera Drake) as Ouisa, Anthony Head (Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Flan and of course, Steven Pacey as Larkin.

The play runs from 19 January to 3 April 2010 (previews from 7 January).