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JM Barrie’s romcom Quality Street heads on 2023 tour – cast, dates & venues

JM Barrie’s romcom Quality Street will be touring the UK in 2023.

From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the delicious farce Quality Street – from which the famous chocolates get their name – will be revived for a new UK tour next spring.

Directed by Laurie Sansom, Northern Broadsides’ Artistic Director, the original acclaimed run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic.

The new version, a co-production between Northern Broadsides with New Vic Theatre, was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations.

Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years on after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain’s heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.

Quality Street tour dates and venues

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Mee the cast!

Two of the cast are returning from the orginal run : Alicia McKenzie as Mary Willoughby / Lotte and Louisa May Parker as Susan Throssel.

They are joined by Paula Lane , as heroine Phoebe Throssel, Jelani D’Aguilar as Fanny Willoughby / Isabella / Sandra, Alice Imelda as Charlotte Parratt / Jo, Aron Julius will be Captain Valentine Brown and Alex Moran as Ensign Blades / Arthur / Brenda.

Jamie Smelt is Recruiting Sergeant / Georgy / Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins completes the cast as Patty / Barbara.

Laurie Sansom, director of Quality Street and Artistic Director of Northern Broadsides commented: “I can’t wait to share this charming re-discovered play with audiences up and down the country who we didn’t get to in 2020. It has the customary wit and boldness of Broadsides’ best work, and has been given an irreverent spin by the wonderful women of Halifax who shared their stories with us and gave us their take on Barrie’s sparkling period comedy.

“It also has one of the greatest comic parts ever written for a woman in the shape of the spirited Phoebe Throssel, finding her own unconventional way in a Regency world of fans, balls and uniforms. We hope we can bring some brightly coloured joy to audiences looking for some warmhearted entertainment in difficult times.”

Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of New Vic Theatre, added: “Way back in ‘The Before’, we and our audiences were so looking forward to Quality Street. It’s a tribute to Broadsides’ tenacity that, three years later, we’ll finally get to unwrap it on the New Vic stage. This time we’re enjoying a bigger share of the tin, as we’re making the show with Broadsides, in our workshops and rehearsal rooms, and opening it here before sending it off on tour. “

More on: News

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

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Quality Street Tour Dates

Quality Street

Phoebe Throssel lives on Quality Street, the bustling hub of a quaint northern town where she runs a school for unruly children.

Ten years since a more...

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Past Events

Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Quality Street. Were you there?

  • 2023 Jul 04 Jul 07 2023 Halifax, Victoria Theatre Quality Street
  • 2023 Jun 27 Jul 01 2023 Blackpool, Grand Theatre Quality Street
  • 2023 Jun 20 Jun 24 2023 Keswick, Theatre By The Lake Quality Street
  • 2023 Jun 13 Jun 17 2023 Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Quality Street
  • 2023 Jun 06 Jun 10 2023 Scarborough, Stephen Joseph Theatre & McCarthy Cinema Quality Street
  • 2023 May 31 Jun 03 2023 Hull Truck Theatre Quality Street
  • 2023 May 25 May 27 2023 Sheffield, Crucible Theatre Quality Street
  • 2023 May 16 May 20 2023 York, Theatre Royal Quality Street
  • 2023 May 10 May 13 2023 Leeds Playhouse Quality Street
  • 2023 Apr 25 May 06 2023 Bolton, Octagon Theatre Quality Street

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Review: Quality Street (Touring)

quality street tour 2023

Tuesday, 16th May 2023 at York Theatre Royal

Quality Street : The Regency Comedy is J.M. Barrie’s take on life and love for the women left behind during the Napoleonic Wars; those who involuntarily became old maids when dreams of marriage departed along with the strapping patriotic men.

quality street tour 2023

Quality Street is certainly a farce in the sense that mistaken identity and active trickery are in the mix. But for the most part, in this production from Northern Broadsides, directed by Laurie Sansom, the performances are often acutely sincere enough and the scenes played straight enough to belong more neatly to drama. Instead of being rich with punchlines and glee, we get mostly gentle humour and some good one-liners along the way, meaning the show reserves the thrill and energy we might expect from a farce for well into Act 2. Yet it must be said that while this comedy is played towards drama, the drama of it is well-played. This is after all an engaging story, even if it isn’t laugh-a-minute, and the cast do a lovely job with Barrie’s characters.

Aron Julius is the very honourable, very eligible and often very oblivious Captain Valentine Brown. He snags the key to Phoebe Throssel’s heart and promptly goes off to war. Throssel remains, and waits for better days: along with her sister Susan, she sacrifices youth, joy and beauty by opening a day school for naughty children just to get by. When the war is through and the luckiest men come back, Phoebe finds herself reflecting on a lost youth and defiantly conjures up a new pretty young thing to entice the men who now look past rather than at her.

quality street tour 2023

Paula Lane offers a broad character arc for Phoebe: from smitten young thing to disillusioned old maid; to a woman re-awakened and finally back to the perky self she thought she’d lost. Louisa-May Parker also gives a great performance as Susan. Susan is a woman who runs from any and all signs of confrontation and yet gets caught up, not just with teaching scrappy youngsters, but also her sister’s spontaneous adventures, and this makes for some great comic moments. Parker particularly shines through Susan’s slow uptake and quietly alarmed reactions; she doesn’t need to be speaking lines to be stealing scenes.

I’m not entirely convinced by the framework of factory workers watching the show along with us and jumping in now and then to comment on the performances, but it’s certainly a well-considered means of keeping Barrie’s text relevant. With each of them offering their penny’s worth, we get easy references to the likes of Love Island and how times they are a-changing – it’s a bit forced, but it does the job. And Gilly Tompkins gets the best of both worlds: she’s the “salt o’the earth”, grounded type from the factory workers and she’s also Patty: the formidable maid/housekeeper who gets big laughs from minimal moments and improves any scene in which she appears.

quality street tour 2023

Jessica Worrall and Lis Evans’ designs create easy messaging through costuming (the youthful gown becomes the dowdy teacher’s garb and so on) and provide some nods to the famous Quality Street wrappers with a rainbow of colourful gowns in Act 2. But that sense of colour and variety doesn’t extend much to the set, though there is a certain period charm to the simplicity of it. Beka Haigh’s puppets do bring good fun to the school room though and they deliver some welcome silliness amidst the woes of the Throssel sisters.

So overall this is quite a mixed bag – or a mixed tin. Like the chocolates with this story as namesake, there are elements to thoroughly enjoy, others to appreciate, even if not quite to savour, and others still which don’t quite hit the spot. What’s not in doubt by the end is that this cast can get the big laughs when direction and text meet on the non-negotiables of a good period farce – other than that, this is an entertaining story and works quite nicely as a drama with laughs thrown in.

Northern Broadsides’ Quality Street is at York Theatre Royal until May 20th, 2023 – more information and tickets can be found here .

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Northern Broadsides Quality Street

J.M. Barrie’s regency comedy Quality Street returns for UK Tour

From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the delicious farce Quality Street has been revived to tour the UK next year.

Having been Laurie Sansom’s directorial debut production as Northern Broadsides’ Artistic Director, the original acclaimed run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic.

The popularity of J.M. Barrie’s romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most loved chocolates: Quality Street™.

In a co-production with New Vic Theatre, Northern Broadsides is reviving their delectable production of Quality Street , stirring in a good helping of Yorkshire wit in a new version for 2023. This sweet and sumptious show was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street™ chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations.

Laurie Sansom, director of Quality Street and Artistic Director of Northern Broadsides comments, I can’t wait to share this charming re-discovered play with audiences up and down the country who we didn’t get to in 2020. It has the customary wit and boldness of Broadsides’ best work, and has been given an irreverent spin by the wonderful women of Halifax who shared their stories with us and gave us their take on Barrie’s sparkling period comedy. It also has one of the greatest comic parts ever written for a woman in the shape of the spirited Phoebe Throssel, finding her own unconventional way in a Regency world of fans, balls and uniforms.

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We hope we can bring some brightly coloured joy to audiences looking for some warmhearted entertainment in difficult times. Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of New Vic Theatre, says, Way back in ‘The Before’, we and our audiences were so looking forward to Quality Street. It’s a tribute to Broadsides’ tenacity that, three years later, we’ll finally get to unwrap it on the New Vic stage.

This time we’re enjoying a bigger share of the tin, as we’re making the show with Broadsides, in our workshops and rehearsal rooms, and opening it here before sending it off on tour.

Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years on after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain.

As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain’s heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.

Quality Street will open in March at the New Vic Theatre and then visit Devonshire Park Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Richmond Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Leeds Playhouse, York Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Victoria Theatre, Halifax. The tour will conclude on World Chocolate Day. The full cast and creative team will be announced in due course.

Tickets are available from the theatre websites with full details here .

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Northern Broadsides

Cast announced for the tour of J.M. Barrie’s acclaimed regency comedy Quality Street

Jan 11, 2023

Quality Street Cast 2023

The cast has been announced for the delicious Regency farce Quality Street , touring the UK this year. From the beloved writer of Peter Pan , the acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic and has now been revived for 2023. The popularity of J.M. Barrie’s romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most loved chocolates: Quality Street™.

The lead, Phoebe Throssel, this time will be played by Calderdale’s very own Paula Lane, who will be familiar to audiences for her 6 years in Coronation Street as Kylie Platt, as well as her work in Call The Midwife, Father Brown and Kinky Boots .

In a co-production with New Vic Theatre, Northern Broadsides is reviving their delectable production of Quality Street , stirring in a good helping of Yorkshire wit in a new version for 2023. This sweet and sumptuous show was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street™ chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations.

quality street tour 2023

Two of the cast are returning from the original run : Alicia McKenzie ( Small Island , National Theatre; Bleak Expectations , The Watermill Theatre) as Mary Willoughby / Lotte and Louisa-May Parker ( Coronation Street , ITV; Sitcom Stories , Edinburgh Fringe) as Susan Throssel.

They are joined by Paula Lane ( Coronation Street , ITV; Road , Oldham Coliseum), as heroine Phoebe Throssel, Jelani D’Aguilar ( My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored , Red Ladder Theatre Company; Planet Caravan , People Zoo) as Fanny Willoughby / Isabella / Sandra, Alice Imelda ( Stick Man , Freckle Productions; I Spie , The Telling) as Charlotte Parratt / Jo, Aron Julius ( As You Like It, Northern Broadsides; A Christmas Carol and Love, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse ) will be Captain Valentine Brown and Alex Moran ( War Horse , National Theatre; A Clockwork Orange , Volcano) as Ensign Blades / Arthur / Brenda.

Jamie Smelt ( Macca & Beth , Royal Court Liverpool; Ackley Bridge , Channel 4) is Recruiting Sergeant / Georgy / Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins ( Murder, Margaret & Me , Tilted Wig Productions; Gangsta Granny , National Tour and Garrick, West End) completes the cast as Patty / Barbara.

Laurie Sansom, director of Quality Street and Artistic Director / CEO of Northern Broadsides comments,

“It was heart-breaking to have to abandon this production in 2020 when it was being enjoyed by so many. We are thrilled to be working with our wonderful partners at New Vic Theatre to bring it back to stages up and down the country with a fantastically playful company. They capture the wit and wisdom of J.M. Barrie’s delightfully comic characters, as well as the Halifax women who helped us make the original show. We can’t wait to get it back on the road.”

Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of New Vic Theatre, comments,

“It is a real treat to be working with Northern Broadsides on Quality Street.  We were eagerly anticipating the show in 2020 when it was cut short due to Covid, so we couldn’t be happier that we’re now collaborating in our workshops and rehearsal rooms once again on this delightful romantic comedy. We can’t wait to finally be able to share it with our audiences after almost three years of waiting.”

quality street tour 2023

Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe spurs the determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter-ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain’s heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.

Quality Street will open in March at the New Vic Theatre and then visit Devonshire Park Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Richmond Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Leeds Playhouse, York Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

The tour will conclude on World Chocolate Day.

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Theatre   Reviews   North

Theatre news and reviews from across the north of England

  • Apr 27, 2023

Quality Street (2023)

Updated: May 18, 2023

Northern Broadsides and The New Vic, Stoke

Bolton Octagon (and touring)

April 25-May 6, 2023: 2 hrs 30 mins

Also Leeds (May 10-13); York (May 16-20); Sheffield (May 25-27); Hull (May 31-June 3); Scarborough (June 6-10); Keswick (June 20-24); Blackpool (June 27-July 1) and Halifax (July 4-7 ).

The cast of Quality Street in the ball scene. cr Northern Broadsides

How odd that a play by J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan , should be remembered today mainly because a brand of chocolates was named after it.

Written in 1901, his rom-com set during the Napoleonic wars a century earlier was a West End hit in its day. When Laurie Sansom took over as artistic boss of Halifax based Northern Broadsides, his first big show for them was a revival of Quality Street : just as the chocolates were Halifax’s own (made originally by Mackintosh’s, now part of Nestlé), what better than the play of the same name for the town’s own company?

Quality Street was one of the casualties of the great Covid lockdown of 2020. It got as far on tour as the Lowry, in February that year, and then everything stopped. I saw it then (read the review here ), and it’s good that it’s up and running again.

The show has been given a makeover in conjunction with New Vic Theatre, and the current tour opened in Stoke last month.

The best thing about Sansom’s version of Quality Street is the interpolation of verbatim theatre-type scenes, from the mouths of some of today’s chocolate factory workers who were in on rehearsals from the start. Acted out by members of the main story’s cast, they articulate the fact that a stage romance of Barrie’s day, itself looking back to the world of 100 years before, is a long way from how we see love stories now.

You can’t get over that: there are two sisters of genteel origins but now in reduced circumstances, one of whom falls for the charms of a young gentleman who then goes off and joins the army instead of declaring his love for her. Embittered and needing to earn a living, she opens a little private school, and when he returns she is convinced she has been on the shelf too long and he can’t have truly loved her anyway. But something sparks a flame of the old romance, and she poses as her own invented niece, dressing in a smart gown for a ball and flirting as the giddy teenager she once was.

He seems to fall for the deception, but finally declares his heart is really true to its former passion, and… well, you can imagine the rest.

What is never 100 per cent clear is whether both of them know exactly what the other is doing and are playing along for fun and to avoid old embarrassments – or not. It might almost be out of Jane Austen’s world, where things unsaid are more important than outright declarations (which is, after all, its supposed historical setting).

Sansom and his collaborators are determined to bring it into today’s time though, and as well as giving it the Yorkshire voices that are the company's trademark, to some extent they have turned it into a northern soap opera. Everyone seems inclined to call a spade a shovel, and ambiguity is hardly the name of the game.

There are parts of this I really liked – and designer Jessica Worrall’s idea of dressing the girls for the ball in shiny gowns like the chocolate wrappers we all know and love is one of them. The dancing (Ben Wright) is lively with Nick Sagar’s music, and everything moves smartly – so much as to get a bit gabbled and shouty in the second act.

Paula Lane does a sympathetic job of Phoebe, the heroine; Aron Julius is decent enough as Valentine the soldier hero, and Louisa-May Parker reprises her fine character study as Susan.

More info and tickets here

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Gilly Tompkins and Paula Lane in long old fashioned dresses facing each other with excited looks on their faces

Review: Quality Street, Richmond Theatre

Author: Mike Carter in Drama , Reviews , Touring 14 April 2023 0 1,468 Views

Proof not all ideas travel well, this well-meaning revival certainly raises a smile, but doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot it aims for.

The legendary tins of Quality Street and much-loved Northern Broadsides Theatre Company, noted for rumbustious Shakespeare over the years, are both popular exports from Halifax. Halifax is a plucky market town nestling in West Yorkshire’s Calder Valley with a glorious industrial heritage. You should visit. I say this because your reviewer, having grown up there, is proud to be an export too.

No doubt because of a sincerely held love of Halifax and its people, Northern Broadsides have set their version of Quality Street the play there – in the very factory where the product is still made no less. What’s more, local workers in hair nets and white coats pop up to share words of wisdom throughout. Notes in the programme tell us these words are verbatim interjections recorded during the rehearsal process.

It’s a neat device on paper. As a local community project, I’m sure it worked well too. Real people in a real place bring their own magic. However, 207 miles from Halifax in a traditional proscenium arch theatre, the magic is lost somewhat. The workers feel less invited guests and more extraneous interlopers. Their input is initially quite interesting if sweet making is your bag. We learn about a literal ‘nut’ house, for example. We also hear about tame workplace flirtations and more salacious rumours about the factory’s fourth floor. Things notably run out of steam by the end though. Commentary becomes as banal as ‘things were different in the old days’ and ‘everyone loves a happy ending’.

What, though, of the play proper? Quality Street was written by JM Barrie before his more famous work, Peter Pan . It ran briefly on Broadway before arriving in London in 1902 (and Richmond Theatre itself in 1903) where it was a hit. It was such a hit, in fact, that, in the 1930s, the name popped into confectioner John Mackintosh’s head when he was looking to brand his new tinned chocolates. Even then, he was surely tapping into nostalgia. Even then, was Barrie’s romance considered quaint and old-fashioned? Certainly, the anachronistically modern design, choreography and original music thrown at this revival does little to shift the sense we are still watching a museum piece. 

Performances vary in quality but even the strongest seem overly cavalier with 120-year-old text. I found myself urging them to slow down and annunciate a few times too often. Barrie is no Oscar Wilde, but we still should hear every word. That said, Gilly Tompkins , as a Mrs Overall style housekeeper, is a delight although we see her all too briefly. Paula Lane and Louisa-May Parker are left to do much of the heavy lifting as the story’s central sisters, Phoebe and Susan Throssel. Only in the final scene, as the consequences of the story unravel farcically, do we really get to appreciate their comic timing and skilled repartee. I’d actually pay good money to see them tackle the whole play as a double act. 

As it is, we have a slightly flabby, overlong, mish-mash of a show. I do wish I’d seen it in my home town where it may feel more rooted and real. As a touring production, I fear it has lost its way a little.  

Written by: JM Barrie (and the Ladies of the Chocolate Factory) Directed by: Laurie Sansom Choreography by: Ben Wright Sound Design/ Composed by: Nick Sagar Original Design by: Jessica Worrall Lighting Design by: Joe Price Produced by: Northern Broadsides

Quality Street is on tour until July. Tour dates and bookings can be found here .

Tagged with: 3 Stars Ben Wright Gilly Tompkins jessica worrall JM Barrie Joe Price Laurie Sansom Louisa-May Parker Nick Sagar Northern Broadsides Paula Lane Quality Street Richmond Theatre Slider

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J M Barrie’s ”Quality Street” tour reveals complete cast

Artwork for Quality Street

Northern Broadsides and New Vic Theatre have announced casting for the forthcoming co-production of J M Barrie’s ( Peter Pan ) romantic comedy Quality Street .

The show’s original run was cut short due to the pandemic and will now be revived for a UK tour this spring.

Reprising their respective roles will be Alicia McKenzie ( Small Island ) as Mary Willoughby/Lotte and Louisa-May Parker ( Coronation Street ) as Susan Throssel, alongside new additions Paula Lane ( Coronation Street ) leading the cast as Phoebe Throssel, Jelani D’Aguilar ( My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored ) as Fanny Willoughby/Isabella/Sandra, Alice Imelda ( Stick Man ) as Charlotte Parratt/Jo, Aron Julius ( As You Like It ) as Captain Valentine Brown, Alex Moran ( War Horse ) as Ensign Blades/Arthur/Brenda, Jamie Smelt ( Ackley Bridge ) as Recruiting Sergeant/Georgy/Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins ( Gangsta Granny ) as Patty/Barbara.

Director Laurie Sansom, who also serves as artistic director/CEO of Northern Broadsides commented: “It was heart-breaking to have to abandon this production in 2020 when it was being enjoyed by so many. We are thrilled to be working with our wonderful partners at New Vic Theatre to bring it back to stages up and down the country with a fantastically playful company. They capture the wit and wisdom of J M Barrie’s delightfully comic creation, as well as the Halifax women who helped us make the original show. We can’t wait to get it back on the road.”

Theresa Heskins, artistic director of New Vic Theatre, added: “It is a real treat to be working with Northern Broadsides on Quality Street . We were eagerly anticipating the show in 2020 when it was cut short due to Covid, so we couldn’t be happier that we’re now collaborating in our workshops and rehearsal rooms once again on this delightful romantic comedy. We can’t wait to finally be able to share it with our audiences after almost three years of waiting.”

Billed as a “Regency farce”, the play follows Phoebe Throssel, who runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street and goes on to create a sparkling and younger alter-ego named Miss Livvy to rekindle a romance with old flame Captain Valentine.

The creative team also includes choreographer Ben Wright, designer Jessica Worrall, lighting designer Joe Price, sound designer Nick Sagar, puppet maker Beka Haigh and casting director Sarah Hughes.

Quality Street is set to open at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme (3 to 25 March), before heading to Devonshire Park Theatre, Royal and Derngate, Richmond Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Leeds Playhouse, York Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

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quality street tour 2023

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Photos: Go Inside Rehearsal for The UK Tour of QUALITY STREET

The popularity of J.M. Barrie’s romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most loved  chocolates: Quality Street™. 

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See photos from inside rehearsal for for the delicious Regency farce Quality Street, touring the UK this year. From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic and has now been revived for 2023. The popularity of J.M. Barrie's romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK's most loved chocolates: Quality Street™.

The lead, Phoebe Throssel, this time will be played by Calderdale's very own Paula Lane, who will be familiar to audiences for her 6 years in Coronation Street as Kylie Platt, as well as her work in Call The Midwife, Father Brown and Kinky Boots.

In a co-production with New Vic Theatre, Northern Broadsides is reviving their delectable production of Quality Street, stirring in a good helping of Yorkshire wit in a new version for 2023. This sweet and sumptuous show was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street™ chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations.

Two of the cast are returning from the orginal run: Alicia McKenzie (Small Island, National Theatre; Bleak Expectations, The Watermill Theatre) as Mary Willoughby / Lotte and Louisa May Parker (Coronation Street, ITV; Sitcom Stories, Edinburgh Fringe) as Susan Throssel.

They are joined by Paula Lane (Coronation Street, ITV; Road, Oldham Coliseum), as heroine Phoebe Throssel, Jelani D'Aguilar (My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company; Planet Caravan, People Zoo) as Fanny Willoughby / Isabella / Sandra, Alice Imelda (Stick Man, Freckle Productions; I Spie, The Telling) as Charlotte Parratt / Jo, Aron Julius (As You Like It, Northern Broadsides; A Christmas Carol and Love, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) will be Captain Valentine Brown and Alex Moran (War Horse, National Theatre; A Clockwork Orange, Volcano) as Ensign Blades / Arthur / Brenda.

Jamie Smelt (Macca & Beth, Royal Court Liverpool; Ackley Bridge, Channel 4) is Recruiting Sergeant / Georgy / Lieutenant Spicer and Gilly Tompkins (Murder, Margaret & Me, Tilted Wig Productions; Gangsta Granny, National Tour and Garrick, West End) completes the cast as Patty / Barbara.

Laurie Sansom, director of Quality Street and Artistic Director / CEO of Northern Broadsides comments,

"It was heart-breaking to have to abandon this production in 2020 when it was being enjoyed by so many. We are thrilled to be working with our wonderful partners at New Vic Theatre to bring it back to stages up and down the country with a fantastically playful company. They capture the wit and wisdom of J.M. Barrie's delightfully comic creation, as well as the Halifax women who helped us make the original show. We can't wait to get it back on the road."

Theresa Heskins, Artistic Director of New Vic Theatre, comments,

"It is a real treat to be working with Northern Broadsides on Quality Street. We were eagerly anticipating the show in 2020 when it was cut short due to Covid, so we couldn't be happier that we're now collaborating in our workshops and rehearsal rooms once again on this delightful romantic comedy. We can't wait to finally be able to share it with our audiences after almost three years of waiting."

Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years after a tearful goodbye, her old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine's face when he greets an older, less glamorous Phoebe spurs the determined heroine to action, becoming the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy, a younger alter ego who soon beguiles the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, and Miss Livvy melts the Captain's heart, Phoebe must juggle both personas while trying to avoid scandalizing the town with her deception, or wrecking her future with the man she loves.

Quality Street will open in March at the New Vic Theatre and then visit Devonshire Park Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Richmond Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Leeds Playhouse, York Playhouse, Crucible Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Blackpool Grand Theatre and The Victoria Theatre, Halifax. The tour will conclude on World Chocolate Day.

Photo Credit: Andrew Billington

Photos: Go Inside Rehearsal for The UK Tour of QUALITY STREET

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COMMENTS

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    The new version, a co-production between Northern Broadsides with New Vic Theatre, was created with a team of retired workers from the Halifax factory where Quality Street chocolates have been proudly made since 1936, wrapping the action in their witty and outrageous observations. Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street.

  2. J.M. BARRIE'S QUALITY STREET

    QUALITY STREET UK TOUR 2023. From the writer of Peter Pan, this delicious regency rom-com was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK's most loved chocolates. Phoebe Throssel runs a school for unruly children on Quality Street. Ten years since a tearful goodbye, an old flame returns from fighting Napoleon.

  3. J.M. Barrie's Quality Street to tour the UK in 2023

    J.M. Barrie's beloved romantic comedy Quality Street will embark on a UK tour in 2023. In a co-production with New Vic Theatre, Northern Broadsides is reviving their delectable production of Quality Street, stirring in a good helping of Yorkshire wit in a new version for 2023. Having been Laurie Sansom's directorial debut production as ...

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    Northern Broadsides are delighted to announce that their production of J.M. Barrie's Quality Street will return to the stage in 2023, this time, with New Vic Theatre as co-producers.. The tour was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 after visiting just a few of its planned venues, including The Viaduct Theatre Halifax, The Lowry, The Dukes and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

  8. Quality Street tour dates & tickets 2024

    Phoebe Throssel lives on Quality Street, the bustling hub of a quaint northern town where she runs a school for unruly children. Ten years since a ... Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Quality Street. Were you there? 2023 Jul 04 Jul 07 2023. Halifax, Victoria Theatre. Quality Street . 2023 Jun 27 Jul 01 2023. Blackpool ...

  9. Cast announced for the tour of J.M. Barrie's ...

    The cast has been announced for the delicious Regency farce Quality Street, touring the UK this year. From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic and has now been revived for 2023.The popularity of J.M. Barrie's romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK's most loved chocolates: Quality Street™.

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    Tuesday, 16th May 2023 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Quality Street: The Regency Comedy is J.M. Barrie's take on life and love for the women left behind during the Napoleonic Wars; those who involuntarily became old maids when dreams of marriage departed along with the strapping patriotic men.. Quality Street is certainly a farce in the sense that mistaken identity and active ...

  11. J.M. Barrie's regency comedy Quality Street returns for UK Tour

    The popularity of J.M. Barrie's romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK's most loved chocolates: Quality Street™. In a co-production with New Vic Theatre, Northern Broadsides is reviving their delectable production of Quality Street, stirring in a good helping of Yorkshire wit in a new version for 2023.

  12. Cast announced for the tour of J.M. Barrie's acclaimed regency comedy

    The cast has been announced for the delicious Regency farce Quality Street, touring the UK this year.From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic and has now been revived for 2023.The popularity of J.M. Barrie's romantic comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK's most loved chocolates: Quality Street™.

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    Quality Street (2023) Updated: May 18, 2023. J M Barrie. ... and the current tour opened in Stoke last month. The best thing about Sansom's version of Quality Street is the interpolation of verbatim theatre-type scenes, from the mouths of some of today's chocolate factory workers who were in on rehearsals from the start. Acted out by ...

  15. Tour archive for Quality Street (Play). 3rd March 2023-7th July 2023 [TOUR]

    Archive details for Quality Street Play tour 3rd March 2023 to 7th July 2023. 14 listings plus production details. QTIX: T01415786215 [TOUR] What's On. Advanced Search; Most Popular; ... Quality Street is a tale of romance, enchantment and the transformative power of love. As snow falls in Quality Street, Dr Valentine Brown enlists in the army ...

  16. Review: Quality Street, Richmond Theatre

    Quality Street is on tour until July. Tour dates and bookings can be found here . 3 Stars Ben Wright Gilly Tompkins jessica worrall JM Barrie Joe Price Laurie Sansom Louisa-May Parker Nick Sagar Northern Broadsides Paula Lane Quality Street Richmond Theatre Slider 2023-04-14

  17. J M Barrie's "Quality Street" tour reveals complete cast

    Artwork for Quality Street. Northern Broadsides and New Vic Theatre have announced casting for the forthcoming co-production of J M Barrie's (Peter Pan) romantic comedy Quality Street.The show's original run was cut short due to the pandemic and will now be revived for a UK tour this spring.

  18. Homepage

    We're incredibly excited to announce that Coffee Creme has returned for Christmas 2023. ... QUALITY STREET® A sparkling mix of colours, shapes and delicious flavours. Discover our Quality Street® range & get together with your favourites. Show more. OUR NEW PRODUCTS. We have lots of exciting new products coming your way this year.

  19. Photos: Go Inside Rehearsal for The UK Tour of QUALITY STREET

    See photos from inside rehearsal for for the delicious Regency farce Quality Street, touring the UK this year. From the beloved writer of Peter Pan, the acclaimed original run in 2020 was cut ...

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