Kay Mellor's smash hit Fat Friends The Musical to tour the UK and Ireland

Following a highly successful sell-out tour in 2017, producer Joshua Andrews is delighted to announce that Kay Mellor’s smash hit FAT FRIENDS THE MUSICAL will return to tour the UK and Ireland opening at Dartford Orchard Theatre on 14 January 2022.

With original music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the show will star Lee Mead as ‘Paul’ with further casting to be announced soon. The tour will visit venues including Cardiff New, Leeds Grand, Edinburgh Festival, Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre, The Lowry, Salford, Southampton Mayflower, Wolverhampton Grand, Canterbury Marlowe and Newcastle, Norwich and Plymouth Theatre Royals. Full tour schedule below.

This hugely entertaining musical is based on the hit ITV show Fat Friends, that starred James Corden and Ruth Jones. Fat Friends - The Musical reunites our favourite foodie friends as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local slimming club, whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams. This show of hope, humour, love and weight loss, delivers a fun night out full of laughter and encourages us all, as the final song sings, to Love Who You Are!  

The show toured the UK to a rapturous response from critics and sell out audiences in 2017 and after a tough year for all, Kay Mellor feels that it’s the perfect time to bring this feast of a feel-good show back. Kay Mellor said today “Issues of body image and online trolling are more pertinent today than ever, and will resonate with people everywhere. Despite this, using song, dance and humour I can guarantee that audiences will leave the show with a smile on their face and feeling better about themselves – something we all need right now. I’m delighted to be remounting Fat Friends the Musical, thrilled to be working with the brilliant and talented Lee Mead and can’t wait for us to bring the show to so many fantastic venues around the UK and Ireland.”

Lee Mead is a much loved actor of stage and screen. Having won the nations hearts when they voted him their Joseph in BBC One’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’, Lee has gone on to star in the West End in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Legally Blonde and Wicked before establishing himself as a TV favourite on Casualty and then Holby City in the role of ‘Lofty’. Lee Mead said today “I am so excited to be returning to musical theatre after an enjoyable few years on Casualty and Holby City and I’m so thrilled to be starring in Fat Friends The Musical. I saw the show when it first ran and absolutely loved it, so I can’t wait to now play the lovelorn vicar, Paul. I’m so looking forward to performing live again to wonderful audiences around the country and working with the incredible and iconic Kay Mellor.”

FAT FRIENDS THE MUSICAL is created, directed and has a book and lyrics by the multi award winning Kay Mellor, whose latest hit series of The Syndicate recently ran on BBC One. It has Music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber with Set and Costume design by Bretta Gerecke. Choreography is by Karen Bruce, Sound by Ben Harrison, Lighting by Nick Richings with Orchestrations, Arrangements and Musical Supervision by Simon Lee, Casting by Stephen Crockett CDG for David Grindrod Associates, with Additional Casting by David Shaw. It is produced by Joshua Andrews and Rollem Productions