Victoria Wood’s dinnerladies Is Coming To Birmingham Hippodrome, And Honestly, Pass Me The Tea Towel
Now then, there are some announcements that land in the satchel and make me do a little shuffle by the kettle.
This is one of them.
The iconic Victoria Wood sitcom dinnerladies is being brought back to life in a brand-new stage adaptation, and it is heading to Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 2 March to Saturday 6 March 2027.
More than 25 years after it first aired on BBC One, dinnerladies is returning with a new show inspired by the beloved original episodes and characters. The production has been commissioned by The Victoria Wood Estate, in association with Phil McIntyre Live and Sustainable Entertainment.
Adapted by Beth and Emma Kilcoyne and directed by double Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley, this new stage version will premiere at Manchester Opera House in January 2027 before touring major UK theatres until August.
And first bit of casting news? Les Dennis will star as maintenance man Stan.
Yes. Les Dennis as Stan. That sound you heard was the nation collectively putting the kettle on.
For anyone who somehow missed the original, dinnerladies was created, written by and starred the magnificent Victoria Wood. It ran for two series and 16 episodes between 1998 and 2000, winning a British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy in 2000.
Set in the canteen of fictional Manchester factory HWD Components, it followed the friendships, dramas, gossip, kindness and beautifully daft everyday moments of the people who worked and gathered there.
Bren, Tony, Dolly, Anita, Jean, Twinkle, Philippa and Stan became proper national treasures. Not shiny, polished, distant characters. Real ones. The sort you feel like you’ve worked with, eaten chips with, or stood behind in a queue while they told you their entire life story.
That was Victoria Wood’s magic, wasn’t it? She found the poetry in the ordinary. The joke in the staff room. The heartbreak behind a raised eyebrow. The full dramatic arc of a woman trying to get through her shift without someone using the last clean mug.
The Victoria Wood Estate said they are delighted to bring the joy of dinnerladies back to the nation after more than 25 years, hoping audiences will be taken straight back to the canteen and the characters they grew to love.
Les Dennis has also spoken warmly about joining the tour, saying he knew Victoria from the comedy circuit in the 1970s and was always a fan of her both as a person and as a comedic voice. He described the production as a perfect way to keep her legacy alive.
And he is right. Because Victoria Wood’s work never felt like it belonged behind glass. It lives in voices, glances, biscuits, cardigans, workplace chaos and those little lines people still quote without even realising it.
So whether you grew up with dinnerladies, discovered it later, or are coming to it fresh, this stage adaptation sounds like it could be a proper treat. Warm, funny, nostalgic and full of heart.
Basically, clear the diary, find your best coat, and prepare to be reunited with one of British comedy’s most-loved canteens.
dinnerladies comes to Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 2 March to Saturday 6 March 2027.
Tickets go on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 30 June at 11am, with general sale from Wednesday 1 July at 11am.
Tickets can be booked via Birmingham Hippodrome or by calling 0121 689 3000.
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