Theatre News

Bette & Joan tours starring Anita Dobson & Greta Scacchi

| London's West End |

19 January 2012

Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi will reprise their performances as screen icons Bette David and Joan Crawford on tour with Anton Burge’s Bette and Joan touring from Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on 20 March 2012 (previews from 14 March).

Bette and Joan, which played a limited season at the Arts Theatre in May and June 2011, sees the stars at the low points of their careers meet on the set of Whatever happened to Baby Jane?. A high risk shocker, the film becomes a surprise hit that propels them back to stardom.

Following its Guildford run through to 24 March Bette and Joan will tour to Darlington, Cambridge, Richmond, Malvern, Swansea, Truro, Northampton, Coventry and Bromley, finishing in Brighton on 2 June 2012.

Dobson followed last year’s performance in Bette and Joan appearing opposite in Steven Berkoff‘s Oedipus at the Edinburgh Fringe. She was last seen in the West End in Tim Firth‘s Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre and her other theatre credits include the title role in the UK tour of Hello Dolly and her 2004 Whatsonstage.com Award-winning performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Perhaps best known for playing EastEnder Angie Watts, alcoholic landlady of the Queen Vic until 1988, she recently competed in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Greta Scacchi starred in Michael Blakemore‘s West End production of Uncle Vanya and her recent stage credits include Peter Hall‘s Bath Theatre Royal production of Private Lives. Scacchi is currently appearing in David Williamson’s new play Nothing Personal in Sydney, Australia.

Bette and Joan is directed by Bill Alexander. It is presented on tour by Mark Goucher and Ann Pinnington.