Dinnerladies on Stage in Malvern (From Ledbury Reporter)

Dinnerladies on Stage in Malvern

10:08am Monday 2nd March 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

VICTORIA Wood’s hugely successful TV sitcom Dinnerladies has been adapted for the stage and comes to Malvern Theatres later this month as part of a national tour.

Featuring two of the original cast members and Victoria Wood’s witty and sparkling script this play is based on the second series of the sitcom and follows the touching and hesitant love story of dinnerlady Bren and and canteen manager Tony.

The play opens in Malvern on Monday, March 16, and runs until March 21.

In the familair Northern canteen setting Andrew Dunn reapprises his role as Tony and Shobna Gulati is back as the naive and clueless Anita.

We catch up with the TV characters Bren, Dolly, Jean, Twinkle and Anita as they serve lunches and cope with their personal lives and follow the reluctant romance between Bren and Tony.

Bren is deputy canteen manager and has feelings for Tony but despite being the sensible one everyone else turns to she is riddled with self doubt and despite his jovial banter Tony is shy and their romance needs a bit of encouragement.

There is certainly plenty of interest from their canteen colleagues, from the gossipy Jean and rather critical Dolly to the slacker Twinkle, and the loveably dense Anita. Mix in caretaker Stan’s words of wisdom and stories about his dad the Desert Rat and coat with words of wisdom from well-meaning Philippa from Human Resources and you have the perfect recipe for comedy.

Wood’s ability to make ordinary seeming dialogue endearing, touching and poetic made the TV series popular with audiences and the winner of the British Comedy Awards 2000.

Tickets to this stage production cost from £14.50 to £22.50 with under 25s £8. They are available from Malvern Theatres on 01684 892277.

• Print
• Email
• Share