Les Dennis to star in tour of Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island

Bill Bryson’s famed memoir, Notes From A Small Island, will journey to the stage in a national UK tour starring TV favourite Les Dennis (Hairspray).

Notes From A Small Island follows Bryson’s journey across Britain, capturing his affection for the country that produced Marmite and Gardeners’ Question Time. It spent three years on the Sunday Times bestsellers list and sold over two million copies.

Following its Richmond opening on 14 January 2025, the national tour will visit numerous locations, including Nottingham, Glasgow, Norwich, Salford, Cardiff, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Bromley, Malvern, Woking, Birmingham, Southend, Leicester, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Aberdeen, and Leeds. Further dates and full casting will be announced later.

The production reunites the original creative team from the Watermill Theatre’s staging, with Tim Whitnall adapting the book, Paul Hart directing, Katie Lias designing, Ali Hunter on lighting design, Ed Lewis on sound design, and George Reeve on projection design.