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Thursday, 2 March, 2000, 08:17 GMT

Archer's new career on stage

Lord Archer - the master of the comeback - is doing it again.

The disgraced former Conservative is writing and starring in his own play, which will be staged in the West End of London.

He will play a man accused of murdering his wife, and at the end of the production the audience will be asked to vote on whether they believe he is guilty or innocent.

I've no doubt the critics will have their pencils sharpened long before they reach the theatre, but I've faced that every night of my life
Lord Archer

Lord Archer was forced to bow out of the race to become Conservative candidate for London Mayor in disgrace.

It had emerged that some years earlier he had asked a friend to provide a false alibi for him in a libel trial.

He has since been suspended from the Conservative Party.

Lord Archer is said to have written his new play during the depths of the crisis.

Bankruptcy

The play will enhance his reputation as the comeback kid of politics and business.

He has previously recovered from bankruptcy by writing his first best-selling novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, and had also survived many political, legal and personal dramas until the London Mayoral race finally brought about his downfall.

During a television interview to be broadcast on Thursday, he tells interviewer Martin Bashir he was a "fool", for trying to persuade his friend, Ted Francis, to lie for him. Masks

"I had the opportunity to do the one job I wanted to do but threw it away," said Lord Archer.

"In that sense you get angry with yourself, with your own stupidity, your own failings, your own weakness. You have to take the blame for that."

Lord Archer also admitted to being close to tears at the prospect of resigning, and feeling "total despair, a total feeling of failure, having let people down".

He adds: "I could have done that job and would have enjoyed immensely doing it and will regret for the rest of my life my own stupidity."

'Broken'

Lord Archer says one of the main reasons for writing the play was to recover from the feeling of being "very low" and "broken" following his downfall.

He will take the leading role for the first three months, which he admits will be a challenge.

"I've no doubt the critics will have their pencils sharpened long before they reach the theatre, but I've faced that every night of my life," he said.

His play, The Accused, is scheduled to begin its run in October in the West End. The venue has yet to be finalised.

The interview with Martin Bashir will be broadcast on Tonight with Trevor McDonald on ITV.

Related to this story:
Tories to expel Archer (04 Feb 00 | UK Politics)
Archer statement in full (20 Nov 99 | UK Politics)
First test for ethics panel (22 Nov 99 | UK Politics)
Ted Francis - Archer whistleblower (22 Nov 99 | UK)
Profile: Jeffrey Archer (20 Nov 99 | UK Politics)

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