Half century of 'Corrie' to be staged

The entire 50-year history of Coronation Street is to be packed into a new stage show condensing the trials and tribulations into just two hours.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2010, 08:44 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2010, 08:44 BST

Coronation Street Abridged Live! will take the audience through more than 7,000 episodes and 2,000 storylines including 115 deaths, 37 births and 86 marriages.

Weatherfield favourites including Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden, Bet Lynch and Curly Watts will feature in the production, along with villains such as Richard Hillman, Alan Bradley and Tracy Barlow.

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The play, penned by Coronation Street script writer Jonathan Harvey, begins in August at the Lowry Theatre in Salford ahead of the soap's golden anniversary, before touring the country.

Meanwhile, veteran actress June Whitfield, 84, has been signed up for a short stint on Coronation Street to play Blanche Hunt's grieving friend at her funeral. The Absolutely Fabulous star will play May, Blanche's friend from Portugal, who comes to Weatherfield to explain to Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) how her mother died.

Actress Maggie Jones, who first appeared as Blanche in 1974, died in December aged 75 . Roy Hudd is also reprising his role as undertaker Archie Shuttleworth for the funeral storyline.