Northern Broadsides returns to The Dukes in Lancaster next month with a play directed by Jonathan Miller and featuring a former Coronation Street favourite.
Rutherford & Son, the unflinching portrayal of an industrial family on the brink of collapse, sees Miller returning to direct a British theatre stage production for the first time in six years.
Broadsides’ own artistic director—Barrie Rutter—takes the lead role of industrialist and tyrannical patriarch, John Rutherford, and also among the cast is Wendi Peters, best known for her role as Cilla Battersby Brown in Coronation Street.
The company regular plays working class widow, Mrs Henderson.
“It's a lovely cameo,” she says. “Mrs Henderson is the mother of the young lady in the glass factory who is accused of stealing. A little bit of Dutch courage is what she needs to knock on industrialist Rutherford's door. She's slightly tipsy, a little the worse for drink and has a go at Rutherford. It's a really good one-to-one with him.”
Another face from Coronation Street— Kate Anthony who plays Auntie Pam Hobsworth—will be joining Wendi on stage.
Ranked by the National Theatre as one of the top 100 plays of the twentieth century, Rutherford & Son has class, capitalism and gender at its heart.
It runs from February 19-23 and there will be a post show talk-back with Barrie Rutter and the cast following the first night performance.
Details: www.dukes-lancaster.org
Listen to Barrie Rutter talking about this production in the BTG podcast.