Vintage Corrie for Lass O'Gowrie

Published: 25 November 2012
Reporter: David Upton

Vintage Coronation Street episodes will be staged as part of Lass Fest 2013 at the Lass O'Gowrie in Manchester, but this time the action has moved to the 1970s.

The action will include iconic characters such as Bet Lynch, Fred Gee, Betty Turpin, Eddie Yates, Hilda and Stan Ogden, Mavis, Rita, Deirdre, Ken Barlow, Mike Baldwin and Gail. Former Coronation Street casting director June West is again using her inside knowledge to sign up a stellar cast, that will again include more familiar faces from the small screen.

Coronation Street 1968 sold out earlier this year and also attracted many of the current cast in the audience—including Michelle Collins, Chris Gascoigne and Jennie MacAlpine. Hollywood A-lister Kevin Spacey tweeted about the show and Maureen Lipman was moved to tears watching the episodes written by her late husband Jack Rosenthal.

Louise Jameson, who played Dr Who companion Leela, will be starring in her award-winning play My Gay Best Friend at the Lass on January 5.

Sean Mason has created a stage play from the Alan Moore sci-fi comic book classic story V For Vendetta, about a shadowy freedom fighter using terrorist tactics against a totalitarian state. V For Vendetta runs January 8-10 and will be part of a double bill with one of the hits of the last Lassfest, The Ballad Of Halo Jones, on January 27.

Salford-based award winning writer Ian Winterton is adapting American Werewolf in London (January 13-15) and the classic 1987 black comedy Withnail and I (January 20-22). Using the ground floor of the pub, the audience will be immersed in the action

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, the celebrated play by Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness, (January 17-19) is based on the story of John McCarthy, Terry Waite and Brian Keenan when they were held hostage in Beirut.

Strangers In Space (January 26 - 28) is a brand new play from Keith Temple, who has written extensively for EastEnders, Byker Grove, Casualty and Dr Who.

Sci-fi classic Blade Runner is being adapted by Brian Gorman for the Lass, January 30-February 2. Based on the screenplay of the 1982 feature film, it will see Ridley Scott's cult sci-fi movie adapted for the intimate setting of The Lass O'Gowrie.

Lassfest is still open to submissions of new work by local writers.

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