Rising Damp Tours to Blackpool & Salford

Following Birds of a Feather, ‘Allo ‘Allo and Dad’s Army, Rising Damp is the latest sit-com to stage adaptation to tour the UK. It’s directed by original sitcom star Don Warrington who played one of landlord Rigby’s tenants, and the tour launches at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre on Tuesday 14th May.

This new show is produced by Classic Comedy Productions, producers of Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies and BBC TV’s Birds of a Feather.

ITV’s top comedy of all time Rising Damp originally ran between 1974 and 1978. Set in a run-down Victorian house, it follows landlord Rupert Rigsby and his variety of tenants who rent out his shabby bedsits in arguably the seediest boarding house that England has to offer.

His unlucky tenants include Ruth Jones, an administrator at the University, Alan, a medical student, and Philip, who is studying town and country planning. Between them, Alan and Philip are the focus and foil of the majority of Rigsby’s many prejudices, usually at the expense of his dignity and standing in the eyes of Miss Jones with whom he is hopelessly and pathetically in love.

Don Warrington is best known for having played the part of Philip Smith in Rising Damp alongside Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale. Don has starred in many television series including Red Dwarf, The Crouches and the BBC drama Casualty.

He has performed with the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bristol Old Vic and has recently toured in the role Hoke Coleburn in the award-winning production of Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy. 

Rising Damp launches at the Blackpool Grand from 14 – 18 May and arrives at the Lowry from 27 May – 1 June.