A popular Channel 4 sitcom is making a comeback as a stage show. Drop The Dead Donkey was originally shown in the 1990s and is now returning to tour theatres.
Most of the programme's original cast are present and correct, including Neil Pearson, Victoria Wicks, Robert Duncan, Jeff Rawle and Stephen Tompkinson, who was cleared last month of inflicting GBH on a drunken man outside his home. The script is by the TV version's writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin.
Drop The Dead Donkey was set in the world of journalism, focusing on the fictional TV company GlobeLink News. It ran on Channel 4 between 1990 and 1998, winning a BAFTA and two Emmys, and was known for featuring topical jokes added close to transmission.
The tour starts in January 2024, taking in 18 venues around the country. The production's website says the comedy will be "reimagined in this brand-new topical commentary on the cutthroat world of 24-hour news."
It continues: "Bursting with razor-sharp wit and classic British humour, this hot off the press production will leave you in stitches. Written by the same award-winning writing team, Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! exposes the underside of the broadcasting industry in all its riotous glory. Whether you’re one of the legions of die-hard fans of the TV sitcom that was watched by millions at its peak, or a British comedy fanatic, come and experience this hilarious revival of an all-time comedy classic."
Pearson played a womanising sub-editor who was hooked on gambling, while Tompkinson portrayed a reporter prone to sensationalising his stories. Wicks played a newsreader, Duncan was GlobeLink's chief executive while Rawle had the role of the station's editor.
The Guardian reports that Tompkinson said: "What excites me the most is being back with the cast – we’ve known each other for 30-odd years and this is a whole new adventure."
