Actress Anna Chancellor hopes The Hour will return

Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor at the opening night afterparty for Noel Cowards Private Lives (PA)

Actress Anna Chancellor, who starred in axed BBC drama The Hour, has spoken of her hopes that the period drama could return for a one-off special.

The BBC announced earlier this year it was dropping the critically acclaimed show set in a 1950s newsroom, co-starring Romola Garai, Dominic West and Ben Whishaw.

Chancellor admitted she was "sad" the BBC decided not to commission a third series and added: "I don't know if that decision was right myself."

She said: "It's very difficult to lift something up once it's been and gone, I don't know if it will be brought back, but I don't know.

"I know Abi Morgan had written another series so maybe we could do it as one-off."

The Four Weddings And A Funeral star was speaking as she celebrated the opening night of Noel Coward's comedy Private Lives in London's West End.

Chancellor stars in the new production with former Bond villain Toby Stephens as a divorced couple who accidentally bump into each other while honeymooning with their new spouses, and realise they are still in love.

The twenties romp sees Chancellor and Stephens caught up in violent rows which involve hurling vases and vinyl records at one another and rolling around on the floor. And she revealed the fight scenes did not always go to plan.

"I've lacerated his face. I smashed the record badly and ripped his face. I actually am covered in bruises.

"Once he threw me in the rehearsal and I went skidding across the floor. There's always going to be an element of things going wrong if you're going to throw yourself at it like that."

Stephens said: "I come off covered in bruises. I've had so many near misses it's a nightmare.

"She smashed the record over my head and dragged the ragged edges down my face so I had scrape marks. It's hazardous."

Among the stars in the audience for the opening last night were Dominic West, Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Everett, Minnie Driver and Tom Hollander.

Private Lives runs at the Gielgud Theatre until 21 September.

PA