Image caption Rickman received Tony nominations in 1987 and 2002

British actor Alan Rickman is returning to Broadway to star in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's new play Seminar.

The star, who has been nominated twice for a Tony award, will play a literary legend who teaches four young awe-struck young writers.

The production will be directed by Sam Gold and will open at the Shubert theatre later this year.

Seminar is Rebeck's first Broadway play since Mauritius in 2007.

Rickman received Tony nominations for the 1987 production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and for the 2002 revival of Private Lives.

Gold, who scooped an Obie award (Off-Broadway Theatre Awards) for directing Circle Mirror Transformation and The Aliens will be making his Broadway debut with Seminar.

Rickman's film credits include Truly Madly Deeply, Love Actually, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland.

He also starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter franchise as professor Severus Snape.

Radcliffe has recently been performing on Broadway too, singing show tunes in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The actor made his Broadway debut in a revival of Equus.

Rebeck is an established writer for stage, television and cinema. Her other plays include The Scene, The Water's Edge, Loose Knit, The Family of Mann and The Understudy.

LA Law, NYPD Blue are among Rebeck's TV credits as are Catwoman and Gossip for the cinema.