The stage adaptation of John Cleese’s legendary sitcom Fawlty Towers is heading out on a major UK and Ireland tour, with an all-star cast now officially announced.
Following a critically acclaimed West End run, Fawlty Towers The UK tour will run from September 2025 through August 2026, with tickets now on sale.
Leading the cast is Danny Bayne (Hairspray, Grease) as the delightfully incompetent hotelier Basil Fawlty, with Joanne Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing, The Addams Family) as the resourceful Polly, and Paul Nicholas (Just Good Friends, Jesus Christ Superstar) reprising his West End role as the bumbling Major. They are joined by Mia Austen as Sybil, Hemi Yeroham as Manuel, and Jemma Churchill as Mrs Richards.
Adapted for the stage by Cleese himself and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the show condenses three of the sitcom’s best-loved episodes—The Hotel Inspector, The Germans, and Communication Problems—into a two-hour theatrical romp, complete with a brand new finale. Described as “the funniest show in town” (Daily Express) and “as good as comedy gets” (The Sunday Times), the play premiered in the West End in May 2024 to enthusiastic reviews and has returned for a limited summer season before heading out on tour.
John Cleese said: “I’m thrilled with the top-class group of comedy actors that we’ve assembled for the UK tour of Fawlty Towers – The Play which begins in September. September also marks exactly 50 years since the first ever TV episode was broadcast on the BBC. I never thought that all these years later the stage show would get the reception that it has. But here we are, still making theatres rock with laughter.”
The full cast also features Greg Haiste as Mr Hutchinson/Wilhelm, Emily Winter as Miss Tibbs, Dawn Buckland as Miss Gatsby, and John Hasler as Mr Thurston/Günter. Rounding out the ensemble are Adam Elliott, Neil Stewart, Josie Brightwell, Ashleigh Harvey, Ben Jacobson, Matthew Gordon, and Raymond Rose.
Set in the chaotic Torquay hotel made infamous by the original BBC sitcom, the play celebrates one of British television’s most iconic comedies, originally created by Cleese and Connie Booth. Fawlty Towers ran for just 12 episodes but remains a cultural touchstone, winning multiple BAFTAs and being voted the best British programme of all time by the BFI.
Tour photos
Tour Details
The tour opens at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on 30 September 2025 and travels to more than 30 cities including Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Wimbledon, Wycombe, Manchester, Liverpool, Northampton, Southend, Plymouth, Guildford, Leeds, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, Stoke, Southampton, Ipswich, Birmingham, Bradford, Blackpool, Torquay, Truro, Milton Keynes, Llandudno, Hull, York, Woking, Nottingham, Norwich, Southsea, Cardiff, Newcastle, Dartford, Oxford, and Dublin. See all tour dates here.
Fawlty Towers The Play is also currently playing at London’s Apollo Theatre, running until 13 September 2025.
Book tickets to Fawlty Towers – UK & Ireland Tour
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