The Archers Live at 75 tour coming to Nottingham this summer
BBC Radio 4’s The Archers will mark its 75th anniversary this summer with a major live stage tour.
The tour will feature eight of Ambridge's most beloved voices, performing in two rotating casts of four – and Fane Productions has now announced which members will be taking to the stage when the show comes to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal on June 9.
Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge), Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary), Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin) and Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy) will be performing and the live show will be hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes.
The performance will also feature Vanessa Nuttall, The Archers’ live sound-effects specialist.
First broadcast on January 1, 1951, The Archers is the world’s longest-running drama.
Broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, the programme follows the lives, loves and evolving fortunes of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge.
More than 20,000 episodes have now been broadcast and it has reflected social change in Britain while remaining rooted in the rhythms of rural life, and continues to be one of the BBC’s most popular titles on BBC Sounds.
Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, the live production blends theatricality, nostalgia and behind-the-scenes insight.
The evening includes on-stage interviews, insider stories, live performances of a specially-written episode created exclusively for the tour, demonstrations of the foley artistry that creates Ambridge’s distinctive soundscape, archive material from the BBC vaults, audience questions, a pub quiz inspired by The Bull, and a sing-along to the theme tune.
Serena Brett and James Albrecht, directors at Fane Productions, said: “When we put our minds to the casting for this tour, we knew it had to truly represent the world of Ambridge.
"We worked closely with the programme’s Editor, Jeremy Howe, and the wider team at the BBC to bring together actors whose characters span generations of village life – from the Archer family at its heart, to the Aldridges, the Horrobins and beyond.
"We’ve aimed to reflect the full breadth of the programme: heritage and newer voices, different ages and perspectives, and some of the most iconic characters alongside those driving its current storylines.
"We hope audiences feel we have done Ambridge justice – and we can’t wait to bring them together on stage.”