Grumpy Old Women Live
Encyclopedia
Grumpy Old Women Live is a stage show based on the series BBC
television series Grumpy Old Women
.
, which had already been successful on the television, came about in Spring 2005 to producer Judith Holder and Grumpy contributor Jenny Eclair, and co-written by the two. Then cast the show, and rehearsals began for a mini-tour in the Autumn of 2005. The original production was directed by Chris George, and mini-tour of seven dates set off in November 2005 and was a success.
For the Autumn tour two brand new members were recruited, Rhona Cameron and Annette Badland. Together with Jenny Éclair they ventured off on another sell out national tour. This led to the first international tour to Australia.
A success in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth proved beyond any doubt that the Grumpy Old Woman is a global phenomenon. As stated in the official website, “from Cardiff to Canberra, women of a certain age could finally unite behind a common fear of graying hairs and sagging rears. Around the world it was suddenly ok to celebrate the cellulite. This again made the Grumpies very happy. We came, we grumbled, we conquered.”
Two years after the first mini-tour, two new members were recruited, Denise Black
and Britt Ekland
. Along with Dillie, the three went on nationwide complain-a-thon.
The show toured regional New Zealand in March 2010. The director is David McPhail
. The stars of the show are Geraldine Brophy, Pinky Agnew
, and Lyndee-Jane Rutherford.
and Linda Robson
) reunited for one night only at the Richmond Theatre
; the performances (a matinee and an evening) were filmed for DVD.
(Coronation Street, The Victoria Wood Show) and Wendi Peters
(Coronation Street, Bad Girls) star alongside original Grump Jenny Eclair, who is also co-writing with Judith Holder. The show transferred to the Novello Theatre
, London for an 8 week run from 14 April - 5 June 2010.
called it a "slickly scripted evening of comedy", The Evening Standard said it was "uplifting than a reinforced Wonderbra" and The Daily Mail noted that "(this) rampaging, rumbustious show is tailor-made for women".
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Grumpy Old Women
Grumpy Old Women
For the live show, see Grumpy Old Women LiveGrumpy Old Women is a British television series, continuing in the same vein as its predecessor, Grumpy Old Men. Both programmes are shown on BBC Two. The first two series were narrated by Alison Steadman, and the third by Judith Holder...
.
Inception
The idea of a live show of Grumpy Old WomenGrumpy Old Women
For the live show, see Grumpy Old Women LiveGrumpy Old Women is a British television series, continuing in the same vein as its predecessor, Grumpy Old Men. Both programmes are shown on BBC Two. The first two series were narrated by Alison Steadman, and the third by Judith Holder...
, which had already been successful on the television, came about in Spring 2005 to producer Judith Holder and Grumpy contributor Jenny Eclair, and co-written by the two. Then cast the show, and rehearsals began for a mini-tour in the Autumn of 2005. The original production was directed by Chris George, and mini-tour of seven dates set off in November 2005 and was a success.
National and international tours
In the Spring of 2006 the original cast, Jenny Éclair, Dillie Keane and Linda Robson set off on a 40 date sell out national tour. Following this, they went straight into a four week West End run at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave.For the Autumn tour two brand new members were recruited, Rhona Cameron and Annette Badland. Together with Jenny Éclair they ventured off on another sell out national tour. This led to the first international tour to Australia.
A success in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth proved beyond any doubt that the Grumpy Old Woman is a global phenomenon. As stated in the official website, “from Cardiff to Canberra, women of a certain age could finally unite behind a common fear of graying hairs and sagging rears. Around the world it was suddenly ok to celebrate the cellulite. This again made the Grumpies very happy. We came, we grumbled, we conquered.”
Two years after the first mini-tour, two new members were recruited, Denise Black
Denise Black
Denise Black is an English actress, best known for playing Denise Osbourne in the ITV1 soap Coronation Street and Hazel Tyler in Channel 4 TV's Queer As Folk in 1999 and 2000, written by Russell T Davies. After attending Portsmouth's Girls Public Day School, she studied Psychology at London...
and Britt Ekland
Britt Ekland
Britt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
. Along with Dillie, the three went on nationwide complain-a-thon.
The show toured regional New Zealand in March 2010. The director is David McPhail
David McPhail
David Alexander McPhail, ONZM, QSM is a New Zealand comedic actor and writer. He is most famous for the political satire show McPhail and Gadsby in which he co-starred with Jon Gadsby....
. The stars of the show are Geraldine Brophy, Pinky Agnew
Pinky Agnew
Pinky Agnew, born in 1955 in Port Chalmers, is an actor, author, social commentator, and wedding celebrant based in Wellington in New Zealand . She has been a full-time performer and entertainer since 1990...
, and Lyndee-Jane Rutherford.
Final performance
On the 23rd June 2008 the original cast (Jenny Eclair, Dillie KeaneDillie Keane
Louise M. "Dillie" Keane is an Olivier Award-nominated actress, singer and comedienne. She is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida since its 1983 inception, but she has also had a prominent solo career.-Theatre and Fascinating Aida:Keane was nominated for a...
and Linda Robson
Linda Robson
Linda Patricia Mary Robson is an English actress. She played Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998.-Personal life and education:...
) reunited for one night only at the Richmond Theatre
Richmond Theatre
The present Richmond Theatre, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a British Victorian theatre located on Little Green, adjacent to Richmond Green. It opened on 18 September 1899 with a performance of As You Like It, and is one of the finest surviving examples of the work of theatre...
; the performances (a matinee and an evening) were filmed for DVD.
Grumpy Old Women Live 2: Chin Up Britain
It was announced in March 2009 that brand new show Grumpy Old Women Live 2: Chin Up Britain will see Susie BlakeSusie Blake
Susie Blake is a British actress.-Personal life:Blake trained at the Arts Educational School and LAMDA in London. She is the granddaughter of the actress Annette Mills and a great - niece of the actor Sir John Mills...
(Coronation Street, The Victoria Wood Show) and Wendi Peters
Wendi Peters
Wendi Louise Peters is an English television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.-Film:...
(Coronation Street, Bad Girls) star alongside original Grump Jenny Eclair, who is also co-writing with Judith Holder. The show transferred to the Novello Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
, London for an 8 week run from 14 April - 5 June 2010.
Previous & Current Members
- Current
- Jenny Eclair
- Susie BlakeSusie BlakeSusie Blake is a British actress.-Personal life:Blake trained at the Arts Educational School and LAMDA in London. She is the granddaughter of the actress Annette Mills and a great - niece of the actor Sir John Mills...
- Wendi PetersWendi PetersWendi Louise Peters is an English television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.-Film:...
- Previous
- Annette BadlandAnnette BadlandAnnette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London...
- Denise BlackDenise BlackDenise Black is an English actress, best known for playing Denise Osbourne in the ITV1 soap Coronation Street and Hazel Tyler in Channel 4 TV's Queer As Folk in 1999 and 2000, written by Russell T Davies. After attending Portsmouth's Girls Public Day School, she studied Psychology at London...
- Britt EklandBritt EklandBritt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
- Rhona CameronRhona CameronRhona Cameron is a Scottish comedian. She rose to prominence via the stand-up comedy circuit, and became a regular on British TV in the 1990s.-Television career:...
- Dillie KeaneDillie KeaneLouise M. "Dillie" Keane is an Olivier Award-nominated actress, singer and comedienne. She is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aida since its 1983 inception, but she has also had a prominent solo career.-Theatre and Fascinating Aida:Keane was nominated for a...
- Linda RobsonLinda RobsonLinda Patricia Mary Robson is an English actress. She played Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998.-Personal life and education:...
- Annette Badland
Reception
Grumpy Old Women was a commercial and critical hit. The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called it a "slickly scripted evening of comedy", The Evening Standard said it was "uplifting than a reinforced Wonderbra" and The Daily Mail noted that "(this) rampaging, rumbustious show is tailor-made for women".