VICTORIA Wood’s dinnerladies is returning to York Theatre Royal after a sell-out run last spring.

It is the only theatre to be granted a second run so far, probably on account of the continuing presence of York actor and original cast member Andrew Dunn in the show.

“I didn’t expect it to be so popular, but after the first tour, David Graham – who adapted the show from the TV sitcom scripts – said there was interest in a second tour…does anyone want to do it?” recalls Andrew, who plays Tony, the female-fixated canteen manager.

“After the second tour, he said there was enthusiasm for a third one…does anyone want to do it again? Now we’re in the fourth week of that tour and we’re still getting good audiences – and they’re all different places from before, apart from York.”

The cast has one significant change from the first run in York: Shobna Gulati’s return to Coronation Street has precluded her participation, but another member of the TV cast, Sue Devaney, pictured with Andrew, has joined the company to reprise her role. “She was the secretary who kept asking for ‘12 rounds of toast, Bren’ and saying a few things that caused trouble,” says Andrew. “So we’ve built that part up more for the live show, which you can do if you have 16 episodes to work from.”

Andrew notes how the roster of nostalgic shows is continuing to expand, with David Graham’s production of Keeping Up Appearances as the latest addition. “We’ve had Porridge, Hi-de-Hi, Dad’s Army, ’Allo ’Allo!, and I think what people have liked about dinnerladies is that there are a couple of original people in the show,” he says. Although the script is virtually the same as for the TV series, there are differences in presenting dinnerladies as a play. “You’re on stage for two hours, and you have to play the gags differently because on TV, the camera cuts quickly to the reactions. On stage you don’t have that luxury,” says Andy. “So you have to say your lines in a more animated way and react in a more animated way. You have to keep it visual and that can slightly slow it down, but Victoria Wood writes in a certain rhythm, so if you try to put too much extra baggage on it, it can ruin the rhythm!”

The tour will run to mid-July, and who knows what lies around the corner. “I think that will be that because there can’t be many theatres left…though there are some big areas we haven’t been yet, like Liverpool and Bristol,” says Andrew, thinking aloud.


• dinnerladies, York Theatre Royal, Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm, Thursday, and 2.30pm, Saturday. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk