Comedian Jason Manford helped welcome Sweeney Todd back to the West End, ahead of his own stage debut in the show.

The comic, best known as a team captain on panel show 8 Out Of 10 Cats, will appear in the grisly musical for a four-week stint this summer.

He joined stars including Sir Tom Jones and Robert Lindsay at the show's opening night at London's Adelphi Theatre.

Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton star as the murderous barber Sweeney Todd and the pie-maker Mrs Lovett in Jonathan Kent's revival of Stephen Sondheim's dark show.

It has transferred to the capital after a successful run in Chichester.

Film stars Ralph Fiennes and Jim Broadbent and Peep Show's David Mitchell were also expected to attend the performance.

Manford will cover for Robert Burt as Italian barber Pirelli in July.

The role was famously played by Sacha Baron Cohen in Tim Burton's 2007 film adaptation starring Johnny Depp.

Speaking ahead of the show, Manford said he would be taking notes.

He said: "I've heard it's fantastic and the guy I'm taking over from is brilliant so it's pretty terrifying."