John Malkovich Hands Out Flyers for His Play at Edinburgh Fringe Fest

LONDON -- John Malkovich has been handing out flyers to astonished passers-by at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, according to the Scotsman.

The actor and director was raising the profile of his play, A Celebration of Harold Pinter, starring Julian Sands, who appeared alongside Malkovich in The Killing Fields.

But unlike many a weary leaflet tout, Malkovich, accompanied by Sands, had no problem dishing out flyers to a throng of delighted fans.

Dressed in a light blue patterned jacket, the star - who counts Dangerous Liaisons, Empire of the Sun and Con Air among his screen credits - was hugged and kissed as he posed for pictures.

Asked by the Scotsman what prompted the pair to bring the personal touch to promotion, Malkovich declared: "We've got to reach the punters."

"It's business," said Sands, "We come here with a theatre play and we want people to come and see it.

"Everyone else is handing out flyers and we have to compete."

The play is made up of personal anecdotes and reflections drawn from Sands' work with Pinter, combining his poems and political prose to create an insight in to his literary legacy.

Sands worked with the Nobel Prize-winning playwright shortly before his death in 2008 after he was called in to replace Pinter at a London poetry reading.

"It's a celebration of Harold Pinter's work, not his plays, pretty much the development of his work as a poet and of his life," said Malkovich.

Malkovich has been in productions of Pinter's plays, appearing as Deeley in the BBC production of Old Times.

He said: "I had heard a CD of Jules' reading of the poetry and then he kind of worked that up in to a slightly different form, that became nearly a theatrical piece."