Victoria Wood’s dinnerladies tour reveals full cast joining Les Dennis

Full casting has been confirmed for the new stage adaptation of Victoria Wood’s sitcom dinnerladies.

The production will mark the first piece of Wood’s work to be commissioned by the Victoria Wood estate. It will be presented in association with Phil McIntyre Live and Sustainable Entertainment.

dinnerladies will be adapted for the stage by Beth and Emma Kilcoyne, featuring a storyline inspired by episodes from the original TV sitcom, and directed by Sean Foley.

Les Dennis will star as Stan, while Sue Cleaver plays Jean and Karen Henthorn plays Dolly. Amy Drake will perform as Bren.

Joining them are Gemma Dobson as Twinkle and Faye Weerasinghe as Anite, with Jimmy Fairhurst as Tony, Josie Brightwell as Petula, Rachel Marwood as Jane and Rachel Pickup as Philippa.

Completing the ensemble is Sarah Dearlove, Alex Frost, Matthew Gordon, Angela Heenan and Tyne Pearson.

Speaking on joining the production, Cleaver said: “I am beyond thrilled to be joining the cast of dinnerladies on tour: I was honoured to have a regular role on the show itself and to work alongside the legendary Victoria Wood many moons ago so it’s an absolute joy to be returning to play such a fantastic character as feisty Jean! I cannot wait to get out on the road and whip up a storm in the kitchen alongside such a stellar cast.”

Henthorn added: “This is a proper dream come true for me. I used to love watching dinnerladies as it was such a hilarious and heartwarming sitcom so I cannot wait to bring the snooty snipes from Dolly to life on stage and hear audiences laughing up and down the country.”

Dennis concluded: “I’m lucky enough to say I knew Victoria – she and I performed on the comedy circuit in the 1970s and were both finalists on New Faces. I was always such a fan of her – both as a person, and as a comedic voice. Being part of this tour and seeing these beloved northern working-class characters brought to the stage is a perfect way to keep her legacy alive.”

dinnerladies originally aired between 1998 and 2000, consisting of 16 episodes in total. Winning a British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy in 2000, the sitcom was set in the canteen of fictional Manchester factory HWD Components, and followed the lives, friendships and workplace tribulations of the staff and regulars who gathered there every day.