Sue Cleaver to play Jean in Dinner Ladies stage tour
Sue Cleaver is to play Jean in a new stage production of Dinner Ladies, which will tour the UK next year, she told Channel 5.
How it was covered
- Channel 5 was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on Sue Cleaver's return to Dinner Ladies and memories of Victoria Wood.
- BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Sue Cleaver is to appear in a new stage production of Dinner Ladies, which will tour the UK next year. Channel 5 reported that the stage show is based on Victoria Wood's sitcom and that the tour was discussed during an interview on 5 News. Channel 5 reported that the stage version comes 26 years after the last episode of the television series aired.
Channel 5 reported that Cleaver played Glenda, the bread woman, in the original sitcom. In the stage production she will play Jean, a part originally played by Anne Reid. Cleaver described Jean as sharp-tongued.
In the Channel 5 interview, Cleaver called Wood a genius and a perfectionist. She said making comedy was 'the serious business'. She recalled rehearsing during the week and filming before live audiences on Friday and Saturday nights. She said Wood would rewrite lines overnight and hand out new pages.
Channel 5 reported that Cleaver said Wood would be thrilled by the revival. Cleaver said the production hopes to do her proud. She said the stage version is not being updated and described it as almost a 'cut and paste' of the original.
Channel 5 reported that Cleaver left Coronation Street after 25 years. She said she had wanted to return to theatre and is enjoying being able to accept or turn down projects.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Sue Cleaver described the stage adaptation of Dinner Ladies as closely following the original sitcom. | |
| Sue Cleaver will appear in a touring stage production of Dinner Ladies next year, playing Jean, a role originally played by Anne Reid, after playing Glenda in the sitcom. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5 treated the story as a warm celebrity interview, built around Sue Cleaver's return to Dinner Ladies and her memories of Victoria Wood. It used a clip of the original sitcom and focused on the casting change, the tour and Cleaver's career after Coronation Street. There was little wider context about the production beyond her account.
- “I mean, it's such a privilege to be back doing it again.”
- “The reality is it's the serious business of making comedy.”
- “I think she'd be thrilled.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.