26 – 30 March

Drop The Dead Donkey tours to Bath’s Theatre Royal as the original cast and writers of the BAFTA and EMMY Award-winning TV comedy reunite for a new stage adaptation.

Starring the original cast members from the iconic BAFTA and Emmy award-winning television comedy and thirty years since the launch of the trailblazing, smash-hit series, the Globelink News team are back, and live on stage for the first time, bringing a brand-new topical commentary on the cut-throat world of 24-hour news. The 2024 stage production reunites Stephen Tompkinson as Damien, Neil Pearson as Dave, Susannah Doyle as Joy, Robert Duncan as Gus, Ingrid Lacey as Helen, Jeff Rawle as George and Victoria Wicks as Sally, alongside Julia Hills as Mairead and Kerena Jagpal as Rita, directed by Derek Bond.

Bursting with razor-sharp wit and classic British humour, this hot off the press production is written by the award-winning writing team behind the original hit sitcom, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin (Drop The Dead Donkey, Outnumbered), who say:

“We’re overjoyed to be working again with the original cast of Drop The Dead Donkey, after a brief hiatus of about thirty years. It’s going to be hugely enjoyable to watch those seven funny, flawed characters from Globelink News being plunged into the cut-throat world of modern 24-hour news gathering and trying to navigate their way through the daily chaos of social media, fake news, and Interim Prime Ministers.”

Originally screened on Channel 4 between 1990 and 1998, Drop The Dead Donkey ran for sixty-five episodes across six series. The topical sitcom, which was written and filmed close to the time of broadcast, was watched by millions and won legions of die-hard fans. At the British Comedy Awards, Drop The Dead Donkey won Best New TV Comedy in 1990, Best Channel 4 Comedy in 1991 and Best Channel 4 Sitcom in 1994. The series won the International Emmy Award for Best Popular Arts Program for two consecutive years in 1992 and 1993, and received the BAFTA Award for Best Comedy in 1994.

Stephen Tompkinson’s numerous screen roles include playing Damien Day in all six series of Drop The Dead Donkey, for which he won Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards; the title role in DCI Banks; Danny in Wild at Heart; Father Peter Clifford in Ballykissangel; Brian in Trollied, and the role of Phil in the film Brassed Off. More recently, he appeared in the BBC One series Sherwood and The Split, and played George Torvill in ITV’s Torvill & Dean. His West End theatre credits include Art, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Rattle of a Simple Man and Arsenic and Old Lace. He has previously performed at Bath’s Theatre Royal in Tartuffe in 1998, Charley’s Aunt in 2007, Art in 2018, Educating Rita in 2019 and Stumped in 2023.

Neil Pearson’s many television roles include playing Dave Charnley in all six series of Drop The Dead Donkey; Vaughan Fitzgerald in Waterloo Road; Detective Superintendent Tony Clark in Between the Lines; Trevor Heslop in Trevor’s World of Sport; Mungo in Chelmsford 123; Gary in That’s Love; Rob in The Booze Cruise and Alistair Gillespie in Monroe. He also starred in the films Bridget Jones’ Diary, Fever Pitch and Bridget Jones’ Diary: Edge of Reason. His stage credits include Arcadia and Hand to God in the West End, Cloaca at London’s Old Vic and Sir Peter Hall’s touring productions of Old Times and Uncle Vanya, which played Bath in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Previously at the Theatre Royal he has also starred in Emily Needs Attention in 1996, The Real Thing in 2001, Taking Sides in 2003 and Noises Off in 2013.

Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 26^th to Saturday 30^th March. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit theatreroyal.org.uk