Jennifer Saunders is to return to the West End stage for the first time in more than 20 years to star in a production of Lady Windermere’s Fan directed by Kathy Burke.
The production is part of a year-long season of Oscar Wilde plays staged at the Vaudeville theatre, London, by Classic Spring, a new theatre company from Dominic Dromgoole, former artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe. Saunders will star as the Duchess of Berwick in the comedy, while Kevin Bishop will play Lord Darlington, and Samantha Spiro will play Mrs Erlynne. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced.
Saunders, who wrote the book for the Spice Girls musical Viva Forever!, previously worked with Burke on TV shows including Absolutely Fabulous. Announcing the project, Burke tweeted: “Look at my groovy cast so far, kids! Can’t wait to boss ’em around and after 30yrs of giving me work it was high time I employed Saunders.”
The season, A Celebration of Oscar Wilde, kicks off with a production of A Woman of No Importance, starring Eve Best and directed by Dromgoole, which runs from 6 October to 30 December. It will be followed by De Profundis, adapted by Frank McGuinness, which has a short run before Lady Windermere’s Fan opens for previews on 12 January.
