Karen Henthorn 'thrilled' with Dinnerladies stage tour

Former EastEnders and Coronation Street actress Karen Henthorn has said she is "thrilled and shocked" to be starring in a UK stage tour of Dinnerladies.

Henthorn will play Dolly Bellfield in the theatre adaptation of the classic BBC sitcom, alongside stars including Sue Cleaver and Les Dennis.

The show is the first to be commissioned by the Victoria Wood Estate since the comedian's death in 2016, aged 62.

Henthorn described Wood's writing as "genius", adding: "Warm, full-hearted, joyous. It's northern, gentle, it's beautiful."

Dolly Bellfield, the sharp-tongued, gossiping canteen worker, was originally portrayed by Coronation Street actress Thelma Barlow in the television series.

Henthorn told BBC Radio Lancashire the part was "so far removed from the roles I usually play", adding: "I can't wait to start. I'm very excited to explore her.

"She's quite unassuming and tart-tongued, she shreds her friends and her work associates to pieces and every line is a punchline. Every line is a diamond.

"She has the funniest, the most beautiful lines."

Henthorn, from Oldham, stars alongside Sue Cleaver as Jean, Les Dennis as Stan, and Amy Drake as Bren in the stage adaptation.

She said she expected the show to "go down a storm" with audiences and be as popular as the TV series was in the 1990s.

"The characters are so robust, and layered, and so funny. It's not action-packed - it's about character and comedy and relationships," she said.

"It's genius work."

The tour opens at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on 22 January, before touring major UK theatres through August, including Blackpool's Opera House & Winter Gardens from 31 March to 3 April.

Henthorn said it would be a "brutal tour" and she would be "crazy busy", with "no time to unpack your smalls", but she would get her head down and "have a fantastic time on stage".

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