Steel Magnolias UK tour to visit Bath's Theatre Royal

Steel Magnolias, the poignant and funny comedy which became a hit Hollywood film, visits Bath in a new stage production touring to the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 February. The cast, well known for their many roles on stage and screen, include Laura Main (Call The Midwife), Lucy Speed (The Archers, EastEnders), Harriet Thorpe (Absolutely Fabulous, The Brittas Empire), Diana Vickers (The X Factor, The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice), Caroline Harker (A Touch Of Frost, The Madness Of King George) and Elizabeth Ayodele (Small Island, National Theatre), directed by Anthony Banks.

Steel Magnolias tells the story of six women who come together in Truvy’s small-town beauty salon in the American South. Faced with the highs and lows of love and life, and amongst the chaos of work, marriage and children, they tackle each other’s trials and tribulations as they unite to gossip, unwind and set the world to rights, showing what friendship really means.

Proving that one hair appointment might just change your life, the touching and heart-warming play is brought to life as Robert Harling’s original script for the iconic comedy returns to the stage for a nationwide theatre tour in 2023. Inspired by a true story, Steel Magnolias was first performed off-Broadway in 1987. Two years later it was adapted into a Hollywood film, starring Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis, which was a hit across the globe.

Lucy Speed plays the role of salon owner Truvy Jones. Since 1985, her numerous television credits include playing Natalie in 525 episodes of EastEnders, across 10 years between 1994 and 2004. She also played DC/DS Stevie Ross in nearly 60 episodes of The Bill, and has more recently appeared in Becoming Elizabeth, Afterlife, Cradle to Grave, Jamie Johnson and Unforgotten. On BBC Radio 4, she plays the role of Stella Pryor in The Archers. Her stage credits include Twelfth Night and Amateur Girl for Nottingham Playhouse, the UK tour of Girl’s Night and Neaptide at the National Theatre.

Laura Main, who plays M’Lynn, is best known on television for her role in all twelve series of Call The Midwife, initially playing Sister Bernadette, before giving up her wimple and reverting to Shelagh Turner. Her stage credits include the UK tour of Shrek, State Fair at Trafalgar Studios, Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It at Regent’s Park, and Alice in Wonderland for the RSC.

Image: Steel Magnolias, credit Pamela Raith Photography

Harriet Thorpe, who plays the role of Ouiser, is best known on television as Carole Parkinson in The Brittas Empire and Fleur in Absolutely Fabulous. She is also well known to Bath audiences for her role as the Wicked Queen in the 2017 pantomime Snow White. In the West End, Harriet’s many stage roles have included Madame Morrible in Wicked, Tanya in Mamma Mia!, Fraulein Kost in Cabaret, Madame Thénardier in Les Miserablés and Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Harriet also originated the role of Marie in the world premiere of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s musical The Girls, and played Her Ladyship in the West End production of The Dresser, alongside Ken Stott. 

Diana Vickers plays the role of Shelby. Since reaching the semi-final of The X Factor 2008 and taking part in the 2009 live UK tour, Diana has enjoyed success as both a singer and actress. Her theatre credits include lead roles in Dial M For Murder, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and the UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show; Son of A Preacher Man directed by Craig Revel-Horwood and The Duck House, directed by Terry Johnson. Her television credits include Josh for BBC3 and Little Darlings for Sky.

Caroline Harker, who appears as Clairee, played the role of WPC Hazel Wallace in six series of A Touch of Frost, as well as guest roles in Toast of Tinsel Town, Coronation Street, Keeping Mum, Middlemarch, Holding On, Hana’s Helpline, and films including The Madness of King George. Her many theatre credits include The Railway Children at Kings Cross Theatre, Battle Royal at the National Theatre, Things We Do For Love in the West End and Entertaining Angels for Chichester Festival Theatre, a production which played Bath in 2006. Previously at the Theatre Royal she also appeared in Present Laughter in 2003 and Brideshead Revisited in 2016.

Image: Steel Magnolias, credit Pamela Raith Photography

Elizabeth Ayodele plays the role of Annelle. Her theatre credits include Small Island at the National Theatre, Playboy of the West Indies for Birmingham Rep, the UK tour of Hot in Here and How to Save the Planet When You’re a Young Carer and Broke for Boundless Theatre.

Anthony Banks many directing credits include the national tours of After Miss Julie, The Girl on the Train, Gaslight, My Cousin Rachel and Mrs Warren’s Profession, all of which played the Theatre Royal Bath between 2016 and 2022. He was Associate Director at the National Theatre from 2004 to 2014, where he commissioned and developed 100 new plays for NT Connections.

Steel Magnolias appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 February. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on +44 (0)1225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.