Les Dennis will be coming to a Cardiff theatre in 2025, starring in a national UK Tour of Bill Bryson’s best-selling memoir, Notes From A Small Island.
This news has been shared by Simon Friend Entertainment, delighted to promote the theatre tour that will open at the Richmond Theatre on January 14, 2025.
Notes From A Small Island is a cherished gem in British literature.
The book spent three years in The Sunday Times bestsellers list and sold more than two million copies.
It even held the honour of being voted by BBC Radio 4 listeners as the book which best represents England.
The Watermill Theatre's stage adaptation in 2023 was described by The Telegraph as a "comic pleasure."
Following its Richmond debut, the national tour will travel to a number of theatres across the UK, including Nottingham, Glasgow, Norwich, Salford, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Bromley, Malvern, Woking, Birmingham, Southend, Leicester, Brighton, Milton Keynes, Aberdeen, and Leeds, with Cardiff’s New Theatre scheduled for May 27-31 2025.
Les Dennis, who will play Bryson for the tour, is a celebrated entertainer in the UK.
Hailing from Liverpool, he climbed the rungs of fame as a comedian in the 1970s, initially on the northern Working Men’s Club circuit.
A pivotal moment came when he won the set on New Faces and turned professional.
Success only accelerated for Mr Dennis from there.
During the 1980s, he became a fixture on television with The Russ Abbot Show and The Les Dennis Laughter Show.
His double-act with Dustin Gee was incredibly well-received, though cut short due to Mr Gee’s death.
He later became a Saturday night television staple, hosting ITV’s Family Fortunes between 1987 and 2002.
A return to the Saturday night TV lineup came in 2023 with Strictly Come Dancing.
Aside from his comedic fame, he has also made strides in drama in recent years.
His acting portfolio includes engagements with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the English National Opera, and various West End and touring plays and musicals.
He also had a regular role on Coronation Street.
Off-stage, he enjoys life in Cheshire with his wife, their two youngest children, and an array of pets.
The national tour of Notes From A Small Island will once again bring together the original creative team from the Watermill Theatre.
The play is adapted by Tim Whitnall, directed by Paul Hart, designed by Katie Lias, and features lighting design by Ali Hunter, sound design by Ed Lewis and projection design by George Reeve.
Tickets for the Cardiff show are available from Trafalgar Tickets.
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