Picture: Michael Wharley
The second UK and Ireland tour of Kay Mellor’s crowd-pleasing Fat Friends – the Musical has been put on hold due to Covid.
Just days before the production was due to launch at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre, the producers announced the cancellation of all scheduled dates due to “recent and ongoing Covid-related events”.
Thanking audiences for their “understanding and support”, the statement on the production’s website went on to say that the producers are working on rescheduling the tour and “are confident that we will find a way to bring the show back to theatres and sell out audiences again, at a time and in circumstances, that will allow Fat Friends to return, bigger and better than ever!”
Written and directed by Mellor, the creator of the original ITV drama Fat Friends and with original music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the musical re-shaping of popular drama played its opening run at the Leeds Grand Theatre in late 2017 before heading out on the road in January 2018.
The principal cast for the second tour included Lee Mead, Jessica Ellis, Sherrie Hewson, Les Dennis, Marc Akinfolarin and Alex-May Roberts.
Produced by Joshua Andrews and Rollem Productions, the production featured set and costume design by Bretta Gerecke, with choreography by Karen Bruce, sound by Ben Harrison, lighting design by Nick Richings and orchestrations, arrangement and musical supervision by Simon Lee. Casting was by Stephen Crockett for David Grindrod Associates with additional casting by David Shaw.
The story of the lives and loves of a group of dieters, Fat Friends first arrived on television nearly 17 years ago. With a cast that included Alison Steadman, Sheridan Smith and Mellor’s own daughter, Emmerdale and Coronation Street favourite Gaynor Faye, the show was credited with launching the careers of James Corden and Ruth Jones.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.