One of the UK’s best-loved sitcoms of all time has been turned into a smash-hit musical stage show, and it’s heading out on a nationwide tour next year.
There’s absolutely no denying how iconic Only Fools and Horses is.
First hitting our screens back in 1981, and running for seven series – as well as countless Christmas specials – up until 2003, the BBC sitcom starring David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst about two black market traders, the Trotter brothers, who buy and sell anything and everything with a dream of becoming extremely rich someday, has a special place in the heart of many Brits.
Not only was the show beloved by viewers, it was also critically-acclaimed and scooped several TV awards in its time, including BAFTAs, National Television Awards, and more, and was also voted Britain’s Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll.
But would you have ever imagined the show could be turned into a musical stage show? Well it has – and it’s become an absolute record-breaking smash hit on the West End.
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The Trotters are on the road after a record-breaking 4 year run in London’s West End! Don’t miss the UK’s funniest show at the Opera House! Book now and join us in the Nag’s Head!
Following a four-year run down in London, Only Fools and Horses The Musical has announced that Del Boy, Rodney, Grandad, Cassandra, Raquel, Boycie, Marlene, Trigger, Denzil, Mickey Pearce, Mike the Barman, the Driscoll Brothers, and all the rest of the gang are hitting the road in 2024 and 2025 for a major tour of the UK and Dublin.
And, of course, they’ll be paying a visit to us here in Manchester around this time next year.
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The acclaimed home-grown musical – which has played over 1,000 performances at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket – is everything you know and love about John Sullivan’s legendary TV show… but on stage.
An Only Fools and Horses musical is coming to Manchester next year / Credit: Only Fools and Horses The Musical
Directed by the originating West End director Caroline Jay Ranger, and with a script and original score written by John’s son, Jim Sullivan, alongside comedy giant Paul Whitehouse, Manchester audiences are being told to prepare for the classic comedy to be brought to life on stage.
There’s said to be an “ingenious script” and 20 hilarious songs in the show.
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With musical contributions from actual Chas & Dave, the beloved theme tune as you’ve never heard it before, and an array of brand-new songs that are said to be “full of character and cockney charm”, the show is described as being “a feel-good family celebration of traditional working class London life” and a “right ol’ knees-up”.
The smash-hit stage show is going on a UK tour after a record-breaking West End run / Credit: Supplied
The tour kicks off in Bromley in September 2024, and then travels to over 30 towns and cities up and down the country – including Manchester – all before culminating in Dublin at the end of June 2025.
Casting for the show is set to be announced in early 2024.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical will take to the stage at Manchester Opera House from Monday 11 – Saturday 23 November 2024, and tickets are now on sale starting from as little as £13.
Featured Image – Only Fools and Horses The Musical
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Fast-rising Manc rockers ROLLA announce biggest-ever headline show
Danny Jones
Manchester band ROLLA have announced their biggest-ever headline gig right here in their hometown and it’s set to be a barnstormer.
The local rock and roll outfit are on the up not only amongst the Manc music scene but Britain at large, notching huge nods from the likes of Rolling Stone as well lots of love from us here at Audio North, and now the in-your-face five-piece are set for a landmark show.
Having crossed a number of city centre venues already, ROLLA have now revealed they will be playing none other than New Century Hall for the first time in their career.
Still only a few short years into their journey to stardom (and yes, we do believe they’re going to be that big), this latest date is a huge milestone for the Mancs.
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It was only last month that the ferocious indie rockers put their ever-growing fan base to good use by throwing a sold-out charity gig at Salford Lads’ and Girls’ Club in a successful campaign to save it from closure, and the scenes from the show were unbelievable.
Speaking on what was a momentous night for the band and Greater Manchester as a whole, ROLLA hope it will go down as something “current and future members of the club and our fans can always look back on it as a special moment in time.”
They also detailed how the atmosphere at the gig was so electric that they used a lot of the footage to create the music video for the new single, ‘It Ain’t Easy’, labelling it “the perfect nod to the massive achievement of helping towards keeping the clubs’ doors open.”
And they really did put their money where their mouth was, raising a whopping £8,000 through ticket and merch sales on the night – a huge 24-hour contribution towards the overall £250k target which was finally reached with just a few days to spare last week.
You can hear the track and see the fantastic visuals that go along with it down below:
As far as memorable Manchester gigs, this is just the start for ROLLA.
Going to discuss the landmark headline show, the band added: “This is more than just a gig—it’s a defining moment for the band and our fans – a coming together of everything we’ve built so far and we mean to make it special. It’s gonna go off.
“New Century Hall is a proper Manchester institution. It’s been a part of the city’s music scene for decades, and after its recent revival, it’s sounding and looking better than ever. We can’t wait to fill it out with our sound.”
If you’ve not come across their sound before, there are some very noticeable Oasis influences – not just because of some very familiar-looking haircuts and use of sunglasses in their photoshoots either – but, put simply, they deliver some of the punchiest rock riffs around right now.
Music outlet Gigwise has hailed them as “one of the most energetic and full displays of indie rock ‘n’ roll on offer today” and we tend to agree, having also named them on our Manc Bands of the Month just this past October.
With their four-track debut EP set to release on 7 March, two tracks from which we’ve already heard and immediately added to our playlists, they’ll be bringing their tunes and hopefully more new music to the much-loved city centre venue on 3 May 2025.
We have every faith that they will set out the 1,300-capacity New Century Hall thanks to their already die-hard cult following alone, so you best be quick if you want to be there.
You can grab tickets to Rolla’s biggest-ever Manchester gig, not to mention for less than £20 per person, right now via the DICE anti-touting app or directly HERE.
Fawlty Towers – The Play is coming to Manchester Opera House next year
Danny Jones
John Cleese’s much-loved Fawlty Towers – The Play is landing at the Manchester Opera House next year and we cannot wait.
The critically acclaimed theatre adaptation of the iconic sitcom, still revered as one of the greatest UK comedies of all time, first came to fruition back in 2016 and is now set to land here in Manchester city centre for the first time ever.
We’ve been treated to Fawlty Towers The Dining Experience at The Lowry Theatre in Salford before, but this is the first time the smash-hit West End stage production has headed North and judging by the reviews, audiences are about to be belly-laughing all the way to Torquay.
Coming to Manc crowds this time next winter, you can expect this one to be a sell-out.
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Still busy playing a fully booked-up run at London’s Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue, the twice-extended West End show is packing up its stage for a massive tour across the UK and Ireland.
Announcing dozens of dates next year and well into the summer of 2026, including shows in Leeds, Liverpool, York, Stoke, Sunderland and many more, the show has earned four and five-star reviews from countless publications.
The Arts Desk have hailed it as a “comedy masterpiece [that] makes a seamless transition to the stage”, with actor Adam Jackson-Smith playing the lead role of Basil Fawlty and the entire cast said to leave viewers cackling with some of the best bits from iconic TV series recreated in the flesh.
Speaking on the stage adaptation, John Cleese said: “When we came up with the idea of bringing Fawlty Towers to the stage, I never thought it would get the reception that it has.
“On 23 December it will be 50 years to the day since we recorded the pilot at BBC Television Centre and I’m delighted the audiences we’ve had in the West End still think it’s as funny as ever. The announcement of the tour means many more people will now have the chance to laugh themselves helpless.”
John Cleese, now 85.
Set to hit the road 50 years on from the broadcast of the first episode on BBC Two back in September 1975, before going on to win countless awards including two BAFTAS and even being voted the best British programme of all time as part of a British Film Institute poll, it all feels very full circle.
Brought to life on stage by a creative team consisting of Cleese and fellow writer Connie Booth and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger – best known for her work on Blood Means Nothing (2019), My Week with Maisy (2024), Early Doors: Live (2021) and the Monty Python live show, there’s non-stop talent both on and off the stage.
One of the best part parts about a series that was stretched across just 12 half-hour episodes of TV is that you can just about manage to squeeze in the majority of the most memorable highlights into the approximately 1h50m run-time.
You can see the cast’s recent interview on This MorningHERE and for a short trailer for a better look at what to expect down below:
Fawlty Towers – The Play comes to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 4 November 2025 and will be there until Saturday, 8 November.
General admission is live as we speak, with ticket options starting from £20 and going all the way up to £147.50 for the best premium seats and experience in the house.
Emily Sergeant -
30th October 2023 
