Jennifer Saunders to star in The Sea revival

Theatre Royal Bath has announced that Jennifer Saunders will star in The Sea by Edward Bond.

Set in 1907 during the Edwardian era, the play follows events in a small East Anglian seaside village after a violent storm disrupts the community. As residents respond to the chaos, the local draper Mr Hatch becomes convinced that extraterrestrial forces may be preparing to invade, while Mrs Rafi, played by Saunders, organises the village women for an amateur production of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Saunders previously appeared in Bath as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit, which transferred to the West End. She is known for her work in the television sketch show French and Saunders, for which she and Dawn French received a BAFTA Fellowship, and for the television series and film Absolutely Fabulous.

Directed by Jonathan Munby, the production will run from 22 October to 7 November 2026 with further cast and creatives to be revealed.

Bond’s play premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973. It was later revived at the National Theatre in 1991 and at Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2008, when it starred Eileen Atkins and David Haig.