Radar: Di Is Dead at the Playhouse Studio

Noted panto Dame Francis Tucker returns to the Playhouse in Robert Farquhar's Di Is Dead, playing a struggling author at the dog days of Britpop

Francis Tucker may be known for his delicious partnership with Adam Keast in the annual Everyman / Playhouse rock’n'roll panto, but his new project isn’t exactly family audience stuff.

We can expect “bad language and scenes of a sexual nature” at the panto, but probably in a rather gentler manner to Tucker’s appearance in Robert Farquhar’s new comedy, Di Is Dead, which takes a look at the death of the People’s Princess that probably won’t result in a happy ending and singalong.

The play sees Tucker – who has a wide range of credits to his name, both around the city and nationally – take the role of an author attempting to write a book on the excesses of Britpop, but when Diana dies he finds the apoplexy of grief that grips the country an altogether more engaging subject.

The play has already enjoyed a run at the Lantern Theatre and is scripted by Farquhar – who wrote the startling, challenging Dead Heavy Fantastic, staged at the Everyman in 2011 – and has ties with local theatre companies such as Spike and Big Wow; Di Is Dead is presented by Peccadillo Theatre Company.

Di Is Dead will show in the intimate Playhouse Studio, which has gained a deserved reputation of staging provocative, locally-flavoured productions from within the E+P and with local companies – read our review of Held and The Matchbox, previously at the Studio.

Di Is Dead
Playhouse Studio
17 – 27 April

Image by Brian Roberts