A clutch of top criminal barristers are set to join a big-name lineup including Ed Vaizey MP and comedian Hugh Dennis on stage later this month for a charity performance of the Trial of Richard III.

The one-night-only performance, which will take place on 29 April at the Novello Theatre in London's West End, will see Shakespeare's King Richard III stand trial for the murder of heirs, rivals, friends and wives.

Court of Appeal judge Lady Justice Hallett (pictured) will preside over the courtroom, with John Kelsey-Fry QC of Cloth Fair Chambers and Two Hare Court's Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC serving as the defence, opposite Cloth Fair's Ian Winter QC and Two Hare Court's Jonathan Laidlaw QC for the prosecution.

The event, produced by the Shakespeare Schools Foundation charity, is the fourth such event, with previous shows putting Macbeth and Hamlet on trial.

Actors taking part in the show include David Oakes, who recently starred in ITV's Victoria, while Mock The Week comedian Dennis will act as jury foreman, and Conservative MP and former barrister Vaizey will take part as a member of the jury. The show is part-scripted and part-improvised, and features young performers from the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Lady Justice Hallett said: "Having been one of the judges who decided, in 2014, that Leicester should be the final resting place for the bones of King Richard III, I am delighted to be involved in this event.

"The event raises crucial funds for an extremely worthwhile charity, it improves the confidence and communication skills of the young people involved, and it stimulates an interest in the law in young people."