Sex offender Langham works in secret on Dury West End show

DISGRACED comedian Chris Langham has been secretly asked to work on a West End musical which has led to its lead actor being sacked, the Standard can reveal.

The 59-year-old veteran writer, who spent 10 months in jail for downloading child pornography, has penned a new version of the play Hit Me! The Life And Rhymes Of Ian Dury, which held its first preview performance at the Leicester Square Theatre last night.

But the comic actor's changes to the script has led to a fall-out with the play's star, Jud Charlton, who producers sacked last week after he refused to work with the sex offender.

Charlton, 40, told the Standard: "I was very unhappy with the script that Chris Langham wrote. I had an argument with him, and he questioned my reputation, which I thought was completely hypocritical.

"It was mindblowing that he couldn't see the irony given his past. I made it clear that I didn't want to work with him and his new script, which I thought was disrespectful to Ian Dury, and for that I was sacked."

The show, which tells the story of the ground-breaking Blockheads singer who died of cancer in 2000, transferred to the Leicester Square Theatre this week after a successful run at the Courtyard Theatre in Shoreditch following rave reviews at the Edinburgh festival.

Producer Irving Rappaport brought in Langham, who wrote and starred in the BBC comedy The Thick Of It, last month to work with the show's original writer and director Jeff Merrifield ahead of the West End run. Several key people associated are said to have objected to the move.

Charlton, whose performance earned him a best actor nomination in The Stage awards last year and a string of positive reviews, added: "After I said that I wouldn't work with Chris, straight away Jeff Merrifield and Irving Rappaport talked about recasting the part.

"I spent Christmas trying to get the show back to what it was, but couldn't work with Chris Langham over what he had written. It simply didn't work and he added all these crude jokes. What was a celebration of Ian Dury and the Blockheads has turned into a character assassination."

Langham did not comment as he slipped out of the theatre last night after the audience had left.

His close friend, playwright Merrifield, defended the actor saying many people on the show had known Langham for years and are standing by him. He added that Langham had not been paid for helping with the show. On Wednesday, the play's West End debut was called off after a power cut, leaving nearly 400 people being offered refunds or new tickets. Paul Roffey, director of leading child protection agency Ray Wyre Associates, said producers should make Langham's involvement public.

He said: "Why have the producers been so secretive about Chris Langham's involvement? The fact remains that he's been convicted of crimes to warrant a custodial sentence.

"He is required to state his place of employment on the sex offenders register and if his work on this play means he will be spending time at this public place then he has to declare it."

Producer Irving Rappaport said in a statement: "The play is written by Jeff Merrifield and contains elements from various people including The Blockheads, Ian Dury's family, the producers and various members of the creative team.

"Due to contractual difficulties, which include artistic differences, the actor was replaced by Adrian Schiller at very short notice. On the opening night he received a standing ovation from a full house of Ian Dury fans including John Turnbull, his friend and original Blockhead member.

"We are extremely grateful to Jud Charlton for his pre-West End portrayal of Ian Dury and would like to congratulate Adrian Schiller on taking over the part.

"Chris Langham is one of the many friends and writers who have contributed over a long period of time in preparation for the West End run"

A registered sex offender, Langham was cleared of abusing a 14- year-old girl, but was jailed for downloading child porn in 2007.