Meet the full cast of the Fawlty Towers revival.
Fawlty Towers is coming to the stage! Nearly 50 years after it first aired, the popular sitcom has been turned into a stage play by none other than Basil Fawlty himself.
Yes, that’s right, John Cleese has penned the play alongside Connie Booth, which made its West End debut in May at the Apollo Theatre in London.
“We’ve concentrated on all the best scenes, but the more they perform it the more they’ll relax and start playing with it – and that’s the joy of it,” Cleese recently told RadioTimes.com and other press.
But who is bringing the beloved characters to life on stage? Read on to find out.
Fawlty Towers stage play cast: Full list of characters and actors
You can find the full cast list, as well as breakdowns of key characters, below:
- Adam Jackson-Smith as Basil Fawlty
- Anna-Jane Casey as Sybil
- Hemi Yeroham as Manuel
- Victoria Fox as Polly
- Paul Nicholas as the Mayor
- Rachel Izen as Mrs Richards
- Steven Meo as Mr Hutchinson/Wilhelm
- Kate Russell-Smith as Miss Tibbs
- Nicola Sanderson as Miss Gatsby
- Greg Haiste as Mr Thurston/Günter
- Danny Bayne as Mr Walt
- Neil Stewart as taxi driver/Mr Firkins/Mr Kerr/Mr Sharp
- Emma Fenney as hotel guest Liz and German guest Johanna
- Mia Austen as hotel guest Debbie
- John Hasler as hotel guest Ken
- Dale Superville as hotel guest Mr Dale
Adam Jackson-Smith plays Basil Fawlty
Who is Basil Fawlty? Played by Cleese in the sitcom, Basil is the easily flustered owner of Fawlty Towers Hotel. The quick to anger, often sarcastic manager is a would-be social climber obsessed with turning the hotel into “an establishment of class”, but lacking the skills – and patience – to make it so.
What else has Adam Jackson-Smith been in? The RADA graduate has appeared in many iconic stage plays, including The 24 Hour Plays at The Old Vic and The 39 Steps at the West End. He has also appeared on several TV shows, with guest star roles in the likes of Outlander, Hollyoaks, Doctors and Master of None season 3.
Anna-Jane Casey plays Sybil
Who is Sybil? Basil’s much more efficient – yet often distracted – wife. When she’s not helping around the hotel, or rather when she should be helping around the hotel, Sybil, who was played by Prunella Scales in the series, can be found gossiping to her friends on the phone.
What else has Anna-Jane Casey been in? Casey has a packed CV, having starred in Sweet Charity at the Sheffield Crucible, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2003 TMA Awards. Since, she has appeared in the likes of Lady of the Lake in Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre, Bells are Ringing at the Union Theatre (which earned her a WOS Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and OFFIE nomination for Best Actress), and many more.
Casey’s TV and film credits include playing Cal’s mum in The Full Monty, as well as roles in Casualty, Silent Witness, Coronation Street and Doctors. She also voiced Stewie’s English mother in an episode of Family Guy.
Victoria Fox plays Polly
Who is Polly? Fawlty Towers’s long-suffering waitress and hotel maid. In the TV show, she was played by Connie Booth, and was also an artist.
What else has Victoria Fox been in? Fox is an actor, singer and voice-over artist. Among her credits are playing Miss Julie in After Miss Julie, Rosalind in As You Like It and the lead role in Canadian play Watching Glory Die. She also performs her own shows in jazz clubs and holds residencies at The Savoy and The Four seasons.
Hemi Yeroham plays Manuel
Who is Manuel? Fawlty Towers’s well-meaning but rather disorganised Spanish waiter, whose portrayal by German actor Andrew Sachs has become one of the best-loved elements of the sitcom.
What else has Hemi Yeroham been in? Yeroham has had a prolific career in theatre, film and TV, with the latter including roles in Sitters, Casualty, Doctor Who and EastEnders. Yeroham also appeared in Mamma Mia! and Closed Circuit. The actor has also featured in several radio plays.
Paul Nicholas plays the Major
Who is the Major? A permanent resident at the hotel, the retired, semi-senile soldier is one of the few guests at the hotel Basil actually appears to like. His often outdated views raise some eyebrows, so we can’t imagine he’ll be too thrilled about the hotel’s German guests.
What else has Paul Nicholas been in? A well-known name in TV, theatre and music, Nicholas will perhaps be most known to audiences as Just Good Friends’ Vince Pinner and as EastEnders’ Gavin Sullivan. Nicholas has also appeared in The Real Marigold Hotel and Marigold On Tour.
The actor’s career on stage spans more than 50 years – highlights include originating the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972, starring as Danny Zuko in the original West End production of Grease. The actor is also a singer, with four top ten UK hits under his belt, including Heaven On The Seventh Floor.
Rachel Izen plays Mrs Richards
Who is Mrs Richards? Joan Sanderson played the Fawlty Towers’ guest in the sitcom’s second season, with her abrasive – and selectively deaf – character accusing Basil of stealing.
What else has Rachel Izen been in? Izen made her West Debut over four decades ago in A Chorus Line, and since has gone on to play Mrs Brill in the US tour of Mary Poppins and Les Misérables’ Madame Thénardier on Broadway.
Audiences may also recognise her from Funny Girl, where she played Mrs Brice opposite Sheridan Smith. Izen also played Grandma Edna in the award-winning Billy Elliot production for Leicester’s Curve Theatre. As for her career of stage, credits include The Bill, Casualty, Holby City and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Steven Meo plays Mr Hutchinson
Who is Mr Hutchinson? Played by the late Bernard Cribbins in the sitcom, Mr Hutchinson is a fussy and rather demanding spoon salesman who went as far as throwing a few punches at Basil Fawlty. Meo also plays one of the hotel’s German guests, Wilhelm.
What else has Steven Meo been in? Fawlty Towers marks Meo’s return to London’s West End following appearances in Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse and in Les Misérables at The Sondheim Theatre.
As well as enjoying a prolific stage career, he has appeared in several TV shows including House of the Dragon, Father Brown, Coronation Street, Stath Lets Flats, Torchwood and Gavin & Stacey.