SUCCESSION star Brian Cox is to play a key part in Alex Salmond's new Edinburgh Festival Fringe show.
The Dundee a-lister will take on the role of Speaker for two performances of The Ayes Have It! The Ayes Have It!
The show will see two teams led by Mr Salmond and Conservative MP David Davis go head-to-head on a range of issues, including Scottish independence.
Others signed up to take part in the run at the Assembly Spiegeltent in George Square include the SNP’s Kate Forbes, Fergus Ewing and Michelle Thomson, and former Lib Dem leader Vince Cable.
READ MORE: Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Is politics the new rock 'n' roll?
The blurb in the Fringe programme reads: “Ever fancied telling the crew in the House of Commons a thing or two, or giving the gang in the Scottish Parliament a piece of your mind?
“This is your best-ever opportunity to play your part in a feisty parliamentary-style debate on the great issues of the day.
“Take sides with two top-rate teams of politicians and celebrities, led by former first minister, Alex Salmond. Remember, every day your vote will decide whether.”
The Speaker will keep a “watchful eye over the proceedings”. Initially, this will be filled by former Commons speaker John Bercow before Mr Cox takes over for two nights.
He will then hand over to former first minister Henry McLeish, who will later be replaced by STV’s Bernard Ponsonby and then Dame Eleanor Laing, the current principal deputy speaker of the Commons.
"I've known Brian for many years and I've always been an admirer of his work as well,” Mr Salmond told The Scotsman. “Now he's a superstar, of course, but I knew him when he was just a very, very fine actor winning Laurence Olivier Awards. Now he wins Emmys. I just think it's fantastic.
"I think his characterisation of Logan Roy is one of the great performances of the recent television era. It's just an extraordinary performance over the series.
"The last character in television who had the impact of Logan Roy was JR Ewing [from Dallas], I think. It's a brilliant performance, absolutely brilliant."
READ MORE: Can Alex Salmond shake yesterday's man label as new show launches?
Mr Salmond insisted "Logan Roy is going to impose order in the Spiegeltent”, adding: "You take your life in your hands if you intervene with Bercow in the chair and get out of line, but with Cox in the chair – by God."
The former first minister said the main topics for debate will be Scottish independence, Brexit and republicanism. "The idea is, each night David and I, our teams have a set-to,” he said. “I'll be backed up by a bunch of Scottish MSPs and MPs, and David will be backed up by a bunch of Westminster MPs.”
The new show will be directed by former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, and is one of two productions by Cahoots Theatre Company. Their other show is The Fringe at Prestonfield, starring Christopher Biggins and Cliff Richards.
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