Byrne has reset Chekhov’s tale in the far north-east of Scotland in 1964. The version has been renamed Uncle Varick and is said to be written in Scots and set in a location barely touched by the effects of the “swinging sixties.”

A spokesman for the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company said,

“Tickets have been selling well ever since we announced Brian was going to be appearing in Uncle Varick at the end of last year.”

The actor is in “exhausting” rehearsals for his role at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh.

Having requested to read the script, Cox was so enthusiastic about the part that the Lyceum rearranged their spring programme to fit in with his filming schedule.

The delay has been caused by Cox shooting the sequel to The Bourne Identity, called The Bourne Supremacy, with Matt Damon and Franka Potente, before his Lyceum appearance.

“I’ve always wanted to do Uncle Vanya, and I also wanted to show support for Mark Thomson in his inaugural season. I couldn’t hope for a better version and his views on the play completely coincide with mine,” said Cox, who played the original Dr Hannibal Lecter in the 1986 Michael Mann film, Manhunter.

His talents were discovered at 14 when he joined Dundee Repertory Theatre. A successful stage career followed, punctuated by TV films and mini-series.

In the mid 1990s he moved to Hollywood and has since appeared in over 70 films; in the past two years alone he has completed 15 films, such as Nuremberg, Adaptation, X Men 2, and comedy series Frasier.

He has also been filming Troy, based on Homer’s Illiad and also starring Peter O’Toole and Brad Pitt.

Uncle Varick runs at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre from April 16 to May 8.