THE West End premiere of Malvern Theatres' first major co-production in recent times has been received favourably by crowds and critics.

Nic Lloyd, chief executive at the theatres, said newspaper reviews and advance ticket sales for King Lear have both been very good.

The production, a collaboration between English Touring Theatre and Malvern Theatres, opened for a five week run at London's Old Vic Theatre on Tuesday.

Mr Lloyd said some plays had been struggling, suggesting that audiences might stay at home to monitor the Iraq war on television.

He said ticket sales may have been boosted by advertising during a recent sell-out run of The Tempest at the Old Vic.

Malvern Theatres has more productions planned, including two George Bernard Shaw plays, still to be confirmed.