Pinter to appear in his own play

Pinter (foreground) has spoken out strongly against the war in Iraq

Harold Pinter is to lead the cast in a new BBC Radio 3 production of his own classic play The Homecoming.

The award-winning writer will take the role of domineering father Max in his 1964 family drama for the first time.

Former EastEnders star James Alexandrou will play his son Joey alongside Michael Gambon as Max's brother. The play will air on 18 March.

"I'm playing the old man," said Pinter, 76. "Since I'm now an elderly man, I'm ready for it."

In 1969, the playwright appeared in the play in the role of Lenny, this time played by Sam West.

James Alexandrou recently left EastEnders

"Radio 3 is delighted to be able to bring audiences this modern classic," the station's head of speech programmes Abigail Appleton said.

Rupert Graves and Gina McKee play Teddy and Ruth, Max's son and daughter-in-law who visit the north London family from the US.

Alexandrou played Martin Fowler in BBC soap EastEnders for 10 years.

Pinter was presented with France's highest award, the Legion of Honour, last month.

He is also a CBE and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.

He is well known for his political views and is a fierce critic of US and UK foreign policy.

Pinter's other plays include The Birthday Party and Betrayal.