Dawn French announces solo comedy tour

LONDON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Dawn French has announced plans to kick off a 38-show, solo comedy tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland this June.

Michael Grandage will direct "30 Million Minutes," a show French describes as "somewhere between a monologue, a play, and an autobiographical slideshow," the BBC reported.

French, 56, compared working with the award-winning director to having "one of my three genie wishes granted."

"The other two wishes are as yet unfulfilled," French said. "They are secret, obviously, but suffice to say, one is about Barack Obama in Speedos. The other is about me in Speedos, with cheesecake involved ... Enough said."

French is known for her work on TV's "The Wrong Mans," "Lark Rise to Candleford" and "The Vicar of Dibley." She also is one-half of the duo French & Saunders, the other half being comedian Jennifer Saunders.