I Think We Are Alone, Dad’s Army, Educating Rita

I Think We Are Alone – tour starts 3 February

I Think We Are Alone is a bittersweet new play by Sally Abbott, writer of The Coroner and Vera.

A story about fragility, resilience and need for love and forgiveness, it looks at two estranged sisters, a mother and son, and a stranger's act of kindness to a man in a dark place.

Kathy Burke and Scott Graham co-direct a cast made up of Chizzy Akudolu, Charlotte Bate, Polly Frame, Caleb Roberts, Simone Saunders and Andrew Turner.

I Think We Are Alone is a Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth production, co-produced with Curve.

It premières at Theatre Royal Plymouth then visits Liverpool Playhouse, King’s Theatre Edinburgh, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Leicester Curve, Nuffield Southampton Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, Northern Stage Newcastle, Bristol Old Vic, Oxford Playhouse and The Lowry Salford.

Dad’s Army Radio Show – tour starts 4 February

Dad’s Army Radio Show takes to the road in revamped form, having enjoyed a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and an earlier tour.

For 2020, the show features three episodes of much-loved radio and television sitcom Dad’s Army: “When You’ve Got To Go”, “My Brother and I” and “Never Too Old”, with just two actors playing all the characters, accompanied by sound effects and vintage music.

The scriptwriters of this classic comedy series were Jimmy Perry and David Croft, whose estates have approved and authorised these adaptations written by the performers Jack Lane and David Benson.

Lane has adapted episodes of another classic sitcom Steptoe and Son and written performed solo show Wisdom of a Fool about comic Norman Wisdom. Other theatre includes The Wizard of Oz, Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, Annie, That’s Entertainment and The Producers.

Benson is best-known for playing Noël Coward in television comedy Goodnight Sweetheart, with stage credits including solo shows Think No Evil of Us: My Life With Kenneth Williams, Frankie Takes a Trip in which he played Frankie Howerd and One Man, Two Guvnors.

Dad’s Army Radio Show is produced by Engine Shed and Something For The Weekend.

The show visits Theatr Clwyd Mold, The Little Theatre Leicester, The Harlequin Theatre Redhill, Harborough Market, Swansea Grand Theatre, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Gala Theatre Durham, The Old Laundry Theatre Bowness-On-Windermere, The Hulabaloo at Darlington Hippodrome, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre, Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Centenary Theatre Isle of Man, Theatre Royal Margate, New Wolsey Theatre, The West Cliff Theatre Clacton On Sea, The Capitol Theatre Horsham, Civic Theatre Chelmsford, Epstein Theatre Liverpool, Brook Theatre Chatham, Hanger Farm Arts Centre Minstead, New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, Revelation Ashford, The Corn Hall Diss, Alnwick Playhouse, Queens Hall Arts Centre Hexham, Smallhythe Place Tenterden and The Carnegie Room Thetford (part of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society Weekend).

Educating Rita – tour starts 4 February

Educating Rita, which toured in 2019, returns to mark the play's 40th anniversary.

Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson once again star in this two-hander by Blood Brothers writer Willy Russell, directed by Max Roberts.

The story sees married hairdresser Rita enrol on an Open University course to expand her horizons, bringing her together with university tutor Frank, a frustrated poet, brilliant academic and dedicated drinker. They soon realise how much they have to learn from each other.

Originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the play went on to be adapted for film starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine.

Educating Rita is produced by David Pugh and co-produced by Theatre by the Lake. The play visits Oxford Playhouse, Kings Theatre Portsmouth, Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, Theatre Royal Glasgow, Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud, Grand Theatre Blackpool, Rose Theatre Kingston, Lyceum Theatre Crewe, New Theatre Cardiff, Royal & Derngate Northampton Wycombe Swan High Wycombe King’s Theatre Edinburgh and Newcastle Theatre Royal with further tour dates to be announced.