The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel featuring much loved British comedy stars Only Fools & Horses’ Tessa Peake-Jones as Evelyn and Hi-De-Hi’s Ruth Madoc and Just Good Friends’ Paul Nicholas will play Cardiff’s New Theatre in 2023.
Based on the Sunday Times bestseller which inspired one of this century’s most treasured films, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes the audience on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and life-changing ways.
Tessa Peake-Jones will play Evelyn. Tessa’s many roles include on television, Mrs Chapman in Grantchester and Raquel in Only Fools and Horses. Among her theatre credits are Ladies of Letters (The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); The Winslow Boy (Chichester Festival Theatre and UK Tour); Bang Bang! (Northcott Theatre and Tour) and While We’re Here (Bush Theatre and Tour). Tessa was a founder member of Tight Assets Theatre Ltd and has done numerous radio plays.
Ruth Madoc will play Muriel and is well known for the iconic roles of Gladys Pugh in nine series of Hi-de-Hi! for the BBC & Dafydd’s Mum in Little Britain (also BBC). Other recent TV appearances include Alice in The Tuckers (BBC), Millie Faulkner in Casualty (BBC) and Jean March in Doctors (BBC).
Paul Nicholas will play Douglas. Paul became a household favourite in the role of Vince Pinner in the celebrated British sitcom Just Good Friends which won the BAFTA award for Best Comedy Series. Paul has continued to star in many TV series including the evil Gavin Sullivan in EastEnders and can be seen as himself in the BAFTA-nominated series The Real Marigold Hotel and Marigold On Tour.
On stage, Paul’s theatrical success began more than fifty years ago in 1968 when he originated the role of Claude in the London premiere of Hair. Following this, in 1972 he originated the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. He starred as Danny Zuko in the original West End production of Grease with Elaine Page and as the Rum Tum Tugger in the original production of Cats.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a joyous, feel-good comedy about taking risks, finding love, and embracing second chances, even in the most surprising of places.
The film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (directed by John Madden) saw its UK theatrical release in 2012. Within two weeks of its cinematic distribution, the film had topped the UK Box Office and went on to become a hit internationally performing as one of the highest-grossing films of 2012 in Australia and New Zealand in addition to the United Kingdom.
The interwoven stories of the film’s stellar ensemble, which included Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Celie Imrie, and Ronald Pickup – with Dev Patel as the put-upon owner of a past-its-best hotel for ‘the elderly and beautiful’ – shone a light on issues such as the outsourcing of care and NHS treatments, the complexity of family relationships around the world, love, compassion, and companionship in our twilight years.
The theatre cast will be completed by Tiran Aakel, Rekha John-Cheriyan, Shila Iqbal, Kerena Jagpal, Sally Knyvette, Nishad More and Anant Varman. Adam Morris and Julie Wood join the company as male and female understudies.
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel plays Cardiff’s New Theatre from Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 March 2023. Visit the New Theatre website for ticket availability.