Coronation Street and EastEnders legends confirmed for the dinnerladies UK tour alongside Les Dennis

Victoria Wood's dinnerladies is returning in 2027 for the first time in 25 years and we finally have a fully stocked canteen.

The full cast has been announced for the beloved sitcom's brand-new stage adaptation, which will be heading on UK tour from next January.

Les Dennis, who was previously announced as playing maintenance man Stan, will be joined by soap legends Sue Cleaver (Coronation Street) and Karen Henthorn (Eastenders) as the iconic duo Jean and Dolly (played in the series by Anne Reid and Thelma Barlow). Meanwhile Bren herself will be played by Brassic actress Amy Drake.

Speaking on joining the production, Sue 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.”

Karen 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.”

The rest of the crew includes Gemma Dobson as Twinkle, Faye Weerasinghe as Anita, Jimmy Fairhurst as Tony, Josie Brightwell as Bren's chaotic mother Petula Gordino, Rachel Marwood as canteen regular Jane and Rachel Pickup as Philippa.

When the show was first announced, Dennis said: "I’m so thrilled to be on board with this new production of Victoria Wood’s dinnerladies.

“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 ran for two seasons and 16 episodes on BBC One between 1998 and 2000. Created, written by and starring Wood, the sitcom followed the staff and regulars at the canteen of fictional Manchester factory HWD Components.

This new production is the first piece of Wood’s work to be commissioned by the Victoria Wood Estate and will feature a new storyline inspired by the original television episodes and characters.

The tour begins at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre on Friday 22 January 2027, before visiting Manchester, Llandudno, Bath, York, Birmingham, Stockton, Milton Keynes, Eastbourne, Blackpool, Cardiff, Hull, Nottingham, Wimbledon, Ipswich, Torquay, Truro, Bournemouth, Northampton, Stoke, Guildford, Canterbury, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Reading, Sheffield and Southend.

The final announced performances will take place at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 August 2027.

You can buy tickets at Ticketmaster or at the individual venue websites.

Buy dinnerladies tickets at Ticketmaster

What are the dinnerladies UK tour dates?

• 22–23 Jan — Churchill Theatre, Bromley
• 26 Jan–6 Feb — Opera House, Manchester
• 9–13 Feb — Venue Cymru, Llandudno
• 16–20 Feb — Theatre Royal, Bath
• 23–27 Feb — Grand Opera House, York
• 2–6 Mar — Birmingham Hippodrome
• 9–13 Mar — Stockton Globe
• 16–20 Mar — Milton Keynes Theatre
• 23–27 Mar — Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
• 31 Mar–3 Apr — Opera House, Blackpool
• 6–10 Apr — New Theatre, Cardiff
• 13–17 Apr — New Theatre, Hull
• 20–24 Apr — Theatre Royal, Nottingham
• 27 Apr–1 May — New Theatre, Wimbledon
• 4–8 May — Regent Theatre, Ipswich
• 11–15 May — Princess Theatre, Torquay
• 18–22 May — Hall for Cornwall, Truro
• 25–29 May — Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
• 1–5 Jun — Royal & Derngate, Northampton
• 8–12 Jun — Regent Theatre, Stoke
• 15–19 Jun — G Live, Guildford
• 22–26 Jun — Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
• 29 Jun–3 Jul — Grand Theatre, Leeds
• 6–10 Jul — Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
• 13–17 Jul — Empire Theatre, Liverpool
• 20–24 Jul — Hexagon Theatre, Reading
• 27–31 Jul — City Hall, Sheffield
• 3–7 Aug — Cliffs Pavilion, Southend

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