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dinnerladies announces full casting for West End production
The stage adaptation of Victoria Wood’s sitcom has confirmed all the names joining the cast
dinnerladies has announced the full cast treading the boards in the new stage adaptation of Victoria Wood’s sitcom. The new cast will tour the show across the country from early next year, bringing the beloved characters to a theatre near you.
Les Dennis is set to star as Stan, with Sue Cleaver as Jean, Karen Henthorn as Dolly and Amy Drake as Bren. They’ll be joined by Gemma Dobson as Twinkle, Faye Weerasinghe as Anite, Jimmy Fairhurst as Tony, Josie Brightwell as Petula, Rachel Marwood as Jane and Rachel Pickup as Philippa.
The ensemble is completed by Sarah Dearlove, Alex Frost, Matthew Gordon, Angela Heenan and Tyne Pearson.
The UK tour of dinnerladies marks the first piece of Wood’s work to be commissioned by the Victoria Wood estate. The original sitcom aired between 1998 and 2000, winning a British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy in 2000, and followed the ups and downs in the lives of staff and regulars who gathered in the canteen of fictional Manchester factory HWD Components. Adapted for the stage by Beth and Emma Kilcoyne and directed by Sean Foley, the show features a storyline inspired by episodes from the original TV sitcom.
Cleaver said: “I am beyond thrilled to be joining the cast of dinnerladies on tour: I was honoured to have a regular role on the show itself and to work alongside the legendary Victoria Wood many moons ago so it’s an absolute joy to be returning to play such a fantastic character as feisty Jean! I cannot wait to get out on the road and whip up a storm in the kitchen alongside such a stellar cast.”
Henthorn said: “This is a proper dream come true for me. I used to love watching dinnerladies as it was such a hilarious and heartwarming sitcom so I cannot wait to bring the snooty snipes from Dolly to life on stage and hear audiences laughing up and down the country.”
Dennis said: “I’m lucky enough to say I knew Victoria – she and I performed on the comedy circuit in the 1970s and were both finalists on New Faces. I was always such a fan of her – both as a person, and as a comedic voice. Being part of this tour and seeing these beloved northern working-class characters brought to the stage is a perfect way to keep her legacy alive.”
dinnerladies will debut at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on 22 and 23 January 2027, before heading to Manchester, Llandudno, Bath, York, Birmingham, Stockton, Milton Keynes, Eastbourne, Blackpool, Cardiff, Hull, Nottingham, Wimbledon, Ipswich, Torquay, Truro, Bournemouth, Northampton, Stoke, Guildford, Canterbury, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Reading and Sheffield. The tour will finish in Southend, with the final shows taking place 3 to 7 August 2027. Find your tickets here.
