Waterhouse's Grief Tours on Way to West End
Date: 7 September 1998
The world premiere production of the stage version of Keith Waterhouse's Good Grief, starring Penelope Keith and directed by Ned Sherrin, launched a national tour last week when it opened at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford on 1 September. It continues to six other cities before arriving at the end of October in the West End, where a venue has yet to be confirmed.
Adapted by Waterhouse from his own best-selling comic novel, Good Grief tells the story of a recently bereaved widow who unexpectedly finds herself drawn to another man, for no reason other than that he is wearing one of her dead husband's suits, which she had given to charity. The relationship between 'the suit', the widow and her interfering step-daughter quicky unravels.
Waterhouse has had several novels successfully adapted for the West End, including Billy Liar, Our Song, Mr and Mrs Nobody and Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell. He currently writes an award-winning column for the Daily Mail newspaper.
Ned Sherrin is well-known for his radio and television work including the BBC Radio 4 programme Loose Ends, which he presents, and That Was The Week That Was, which he devised, produced and directed. For the stage, Sherrin has directed A Passionate Woman and Salad Days in the West End as well as five musicals, including the Tony Award-winning Side by Side by Sondheim and Olivier Award-winning The Ratepayers Iolanthe.
Penelope Keith, known to millions for her television roles in The Good Life and To the Manor Born, has appeared on stage in Mrs Warren's Profession, The Norman Conquests and Hobson's Choice amongst many other productions. She was awarded the OBE in 1988.
Keith is joined by Sarah Berger, who has worked extensively with the RSC and appeared in Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell at the Apollo Theatre, David Firth whose stage credits include The Fix and Passion, and Christopher Goodwin whose one-man show The Guv'nor has been highly acclaimed.
Good Grief is designed by Tim Goodchild with lighting by Robin Carter and sound by Tom Lishman. It is presented by Theatre Royal Bath Production and Pericles Productions, by arrangement with Pencon Productions.
Following Guildford, Good Grief will visit Richmond, Coventry, Bath, Bradford, High Wycombe and Malvern before arriving in London.
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