Madonna is thrilled to do this play, especially to be on stage in the legendary West End

Her manager Caresse Henry

The show's producer, Sonia Friedman, said she is backing the singer's decision.

"We completely understand that Madonna has daytime recording commitments that cannot be rescheduled," she said.

"As a result, we are determined to accommodate all matinee ticket holders."

Up For Grabs, written by Australian David Williamson, is a satire on the art world.

It broke box office records when it opened in Sydney in February 2001.

The play, which has a cast of seven, will be directed by Laurence Boswell, whose recent credits include A Day In The Life Of Joe Egg and Popcorn, by Ben Elton.

Sean Penn starred with his then wife in 1986

It centres on an art dealer's manipulation of friends and colleagues when a Jackson Pollock painting slips quietly onto the market.

It will be Madonna's first stage role in 13 years and marks a shift in direction for the performer.

Her manager Caresse Henry said the star cannot wait to tread the boards.

She said: "Madonna is thrilled to do this play, especially to be on stage in the legendary West End."

Her last stage performance was in 1988 with Broadway veterans Ron Silver and Joe Mantegna in American playwright David Mamet's Speed the Plow.

Actress

She also acted with then husband Sean Penn in 1986 off-Broadway play Goose and Tomtom, and before finding fame, wrote her own part in a filmed stage play called In Artificial Light in 1980.

After good reviews for her role in the film Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985, Madonna fared less well with 1986's Shanghai Surprise and Who's That Girl in 1987.

A more recent musical performance as Eva Peron in Evita earned her better reviews, but her role in The Next Best Thing received a mixed reception.

She will next be seen in her husband Guy Ritchie's new movie Swept Away.

Madonna will appear in previews of Up For Grabs from 9 May before it opens officially.