Rehearsals are underway for Victoria Wood musical Fourteen Again.
The world premiere will take place at the Victoria Wood Theatre at Bowness, formerly the Old Laundry Theatre from May 1.
Leading ladies Ria Jones and Sally Ann Triplett play best friends in the musical.
It begins at the local Slimming Club, where Peggy (Triplett) is reunited with Lou (Jones), her best friend from school who she hasn’t seen since they were teenagers.
As kids, no two friends were ever funnier or more fun, but here, now, today they are shadows of their younger selves – and a story unfolds of looking back to the future, full of comedy, love and pain, with Victoria’s songs moving the musical fast forward.
Both actors had worked alongside Victoria. Sally Ann created the role of Miss Berta in the original West End production of the musical Acorn Antiques, and Ria played Mrs Overall in the first national tour of Acorn Antiques, which was directed by Victoria.
They are joined on stage by Michael Chance (Stepping Out, South Pacific) and Jayne Ashley (Sister Act, Calender Girls).
The star had a close connection to The Old Laundry Theatre and it was renamed in her honour by its owners and her friends, husband-and-wife team Charlotte Scott and Roger Glossop MBE run The Old Laundry Theatre.
Victoria had opened the venue, was a trustee of the theatre, performed there many times, produced and directed her own show Talent (2008) there, and in 2013 her television film Housewife 49 was adapted for the stage especially for The Old Laundry Theatre.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of her death.
Fourteen Again has been written by Tom MacRae, writer and lyricist of the global hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Previews will be held from Friday May 1 until Saturday June 6.
