Betty Blue Eyes - Novello Theatre
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
IN SPRING 2011, Sarah Lancashire and Reece Shearsmith will star in the world premiere of Betty Blue Eyes at London’s Novello Theatre.
A musical adaptation of Alan Bennett’s film A Private Function, Betty Blue Eyes has a book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, and music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The production will be directed by Richard Eyre, with choreography by Stephen Mear and design by Tim Hatley.
The story unfolds in a Yorkshire village after the Second World War, where rationing presents a challenge for the locals who want to celebrate a Royal wedding in style by slaughtering an illegally raised pig for the event.
Chaos ensues when the pig is stolen and a food inspector arrives, determined to stop activities dodging the food rationing.
Lancashire and Shearsmith will play Joyce and Gilbert Chilvers, the roles originated on screen by Maggie Smith and Michael Palin.
Although Sarah Lancashire will always be remembered as Coronation Street‘s Raquel Watts, she has previously appeared on stage in Michael Grandage’s revival of Guys and Dolls (as Miss Adelaide), Blood Brothers, Little Shop of Horrors and Educating Rita.
Her other television credits include Where the Heart Is, Clocking Off, Rose and Maloney, Oliver Twist, Wuthering Heights and Lark Rise to Candleford.
As well as being one quarter of comedy sketch team The League of Gentlemen, Reece Shearsmith has appeared on screen in Psychoville, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Spaced, Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere and Shaun of the Dead.
His stage credits include As You Like It and The Producers (West End), The Common Pursuit and Comedians. And ahead of Betty Blue Eyes he’s scheduled to appear in Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
Further casting for Betty Blue Eyes has yet to be confirmed although Betty will be played by an animatronic pig.
Onassis is currently booking at the Novello Theatre until January 8, 2011.