Based on the Sunday Times bestseller which inspired one of this century’s most treasured films, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL takes us on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and life-changing ways.
Everything about the story is joyous and feel-good, it’s also really funny. It’s about taking risks, finding love, and embracing second chances, even in the most surprising of places.
Like the characters in the ‘hotel’ the story has had quite a journey – going from book to screen to the West-End and a national tour, which brings this incredible cast to the New Theatre in Cardiff this week.
The film came out ten years ago and within two weeks had topped the UK Box Office and went on to become a hit internationally performing as one of the highest-grossing films of 2012 in Australia and New Zealand in addition to the United Kingdom. Even now, and especially after lockdown, it is one of the most ‘go to movies’ if you’re after a shot of inspiration.
The interwoven stories shone a light on issues such as the outsourcing of care and NHS treatments, the complexity of family relationships around the world, love, compassion, and companionship in our twilight years.
is today delighted to announce that much-loved comedy actress BELINDA LANG (ITV’s Second Thoughts;BBC 1’s 2point4 Children), GRAHAM SEED, best known for his award-winning long-running performance as Nigel Pargetter in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, KRISS DOSANJH (ITV’s Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Larkins) and PAOLA DIONISOTTI (HBO’s Game of Thrones, Florence Foster Jenkins and ITV’s Harbour Lights) will complete the company of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on the record-breaking tour’s second leg.
They will join previously revealed stage and screen stars PAUL NICHOLAS (Jesus Christ Superstar, BBC 1’s Just Good Friends, Eastenders, The Real Marigold Hotel) and TESSA PEAKE-JONES (Raquel in BBC 1’s Only Fools and Horses, ITV’s Grantchester).
Paul is fantastic on TV but a real joy on stage. I remember (many years ago) being in the audience when he was playing Barnum in Bristol. At the end of the performance, out walks Michael Aspel with the big red This Is Your Life book. It was a surreal moment for us in the audience, and I’m sure even more so for Paul.
What first attracted you to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
“The book was successful, and the film had been successful; it was one of the lead roles, and I’m used to touring and I enjoy it. When I read the script, I thought, ‘I can see this working on stage’ and so far, it’s proven popular with audiences, particularly at the start of the tour when they were initially reluctant to return to the theatre because of Covid. They’ve gotten over that now and we’ve had fantastic houses.”
How would you describe Douglas?
“His wife somewhat dominates him, he’s been married quite a long time, and there’s a romantic element to the part in that he finds solace with a woman named Evelyn even at the ripe old age of 70-plus. It’s nice to show that romantic side to a couple in their later years.”
New to the cast this year is Tessa Peake-Jones. Have your professional paths crossed previously?
“No, they haven’t, but Tessa is so well-respected and we have the writer John Sullivan in common. He wrote Only Fools and Horses, which Tessa was in, and Just Good Friends, which I was in, and we were both lucky to have John’s writing because he was a one-off, brilliant comedy writer. So I’m really looking forward to working with her.”
Paul has had such a varied career, of course we all fondly remember Just Good Friends, written by John Sullivan. What you may not remember is that Paul was also a proper, fully-fledged pop star. Who doesn’t remember Dancing With The Captain………
“Well, I was for a while. I started out as a rock piano player for Screaming Lord Sutch, and your dream is to have a hit record when you’re in that world. I didn’t manage it as a young man but when I got to 30 I decided to give it another go, found a song called Reggae Like It Used To Be and had a few hits off the back of that. I got it out of my system and it was fun to do.”
Deborah Moggach who wrote this lovely story told us……
“I’m so thrilled that my characters are stepping into a new life on the stage. They’ve been waiting impatiently for the curtain to rise, and none of them is getting any younger. So welcome again to the Marigold Hotel! We’ve assembled an amazing cast, so I hope they bring you plenty of laughs, and some warm sparks of recognition.”
You must get asked this all the time Deborah but is there a character in the story and play you most relate to?
“I’ve got a bit of all of them in me. They’re all part of me because the funny thing about writing characters, novels and plays is that you’re in all of them. In a way I’m not like Evelyn at all, for example, but she speaks things about getting older which I identify with. In the play she talks about how you can remember things that have happened in the far past but not quite recently. She says it’s like putting your hand in a stream to catch minnows and they flicker away. You have to somehow grab them but they’re very elusive and that’s the nature of memory. You kind of have to catch it by surprise to try and remember what happened.”
Are you also hoping to attract younger audiences?
“I’m longing to get young audiences in and of course an Indian audience. With a lot of the Indian characters I’ve given them bigger stories and one of the themes of the play is the meeting of East and West, the dissipating of prejudice and showing what we have in common along with the contrast between our cultures. To get young people and a diverse audience in would be absolutely great. I hope they’ll have their sympathies enlarged, not just about what they might consider old people who are past it but also about other cultures. It’s about ageing and mortality but it’s also about fun and how we can get on with each other. There are quite a lot of messages hidden in there.”
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL is playing at the New Theatre in Cardiff through to Saturday 11th March. Performances are at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets range from £21 to £39 with a host of prices in between. For more details go HERE.
Before you watch the trailer it would be wrong of us not to mention our lovely RUTH MADOC who was originally to star in this production. As her agent said…..
“Ruth is one of a kind and a unique talent loved by many”
So as the show opens in Cardiff, and we enjoy this fantastic production, we’ll certainly raise a glass to Ruth who sadly died last December.
