Only Fools and Horses Liverpool tour date announced

Lovely jubbly! West End smash hit musical Only Fools and Horses is heading for Liverpool next month as part of an inaugural UK tour.

The stage show version of writer John Sullivan’s classic BBC comedy will come to the Empire from June 9-21.

Co-writer Paul Whitehouse will reprise his stage role as Grandad in the show when it arrives at the Lime Street theatre.

The critically acclaimed production features all the TV series’ famous characters, from Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad to Raquel, Cassandra, Boycie and Marlene and is penned by Sullivan’s son Jim alongside Whitehouse, with musical contributions from Chas & Dave.

Whitehouse says: “I’m delighted to return to the role of Grandad once more – I’ve really missed him - and audiences will also get to see all the other hilarious characters they know and love from the television series live on stage at their local theatre."

Only Fools and Horses writer John Sullivan died in 2011. But his son Jim has kept his creation alive ever since on television and books, and through this hit stage musical which was premiered in 2019.

Whitehouse says: "Initially, I was asked to write and adapt it, I wasn’t asked to be in it.

"I had worked with CJ (the show's director Caroline Jay Ranger) and the production team on the Legends tour with Harry Enfield, and she had enjoyed working with me, and thought I had the wherewithal to do it – I didn’t as I had never written a musical before, so it was a gradual process.

"I met Jim and I was very conscious of how precious the legacy was to him and his family, and for me too as someone who loved the series.

Above: Paul Whitehouse and co-writer Jim Sullivan in the Only Fools and Horses rehearsal room

"But the fact that Chas Hodges (of Chas and Dave fame) and John Sullivan had already written a song together for it struck me as a positive element. It was amazing to see the musical so well received during its four years in the West End."

Speaking about what Liverpool audiences can expect, Sullivan adds: “When my dad wrote the first series back in 1981, he wasn’t sure it would get a second series. When he wrote the second series it looked as though there wouldn’t be a third. When he wrote the final episode in 2003 there were, all told, 64 episodes.

“The story of the Trotters of Peckham spanned over two decades and included births, deaths and marriages. Our job was to boil that down into a single two-hour story... with songs!

“Obviously we couldn’t include everything, and while we have tried to remain faithful to the original scripts, we’ve also used a bit of creative license with the timeline.

“Ultimately, we’re not trying to reinvent the series but rather to pay homage to it. What we’ve ended up with is (hopefully) something that captures and celebrates the heart and spirit of what the series was all about.”

Only Fools and Horses the Musical is at the Liverpool Empire from June 9-21. Tickets HERE