A brand new stage adaptation of Porridge, based on the classic BBC comedy by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, will tour the UK from September 2027.
Presented by Joshua Beaumont and Matthew Emeny for The Production Garden, the production will be adapted and directed by Samuel Freeman, with casting to be announced.
The stage version promises to bring the iconic sitcom to life through a cast of just three performers, revisiting some of the series’ most memorable moments and characters.
Set inside HM Prison Slade, Porridge follows career criminal Fletcher and his naïve cellmate Godber as they navigate prison life with humour, ingenuity and a healthy disregard for authority.
Dick Clement said: “Someone once pointed out that the best comedies thrive in captive situations. He or she quoted Steptoe and Son, where a father and son are shackled together trying to get along and nearly come to blows in the process.
“If you accept that premise, then Porridge is the ultimate example, where our characters are literally locked up behind bars. Even the Prison Officers suffer in a similar way where Mr. Barrowclough, not looking forward to going home to a wife we never meet, says plaintively: ‘Sometimes I wish I was in here with you lot’.
“I look forward to seeing our creation in the theatre. If the audience feels confined, they can of course make a run for it. Instead, the hope is that they will enjoy sharing the familiar experiences of Fletcher, Godber, Mr. Mackay and the entire team. And when they have finished laughing, they will find that the doors to the street are unlocked.”
Freeman, an associate artist of The Production Garden whose previous work with the company includes The Importance of Being Earnest and The Mumford & Sons Story, said: “I am utterly thrilled at the opportunity to bring Porridge back to the stage, touring across the UK in 2027. Dick and Ian’s script contains so many great moments of this national treasure of a British sitcom, bottled up into one fantastic evening of entertainment. Full of unforgettable characters, razor sharp wit and the heartfelt truth of a friendship found in one of the toughest places!”
He added: “I’m excited to be adapting this classic into a fresh new production that looks to celebrate the well known adventures of Fletcher, Godber and co, through all the theatrical magic that makes British theatre something to love and enjoy.”
The tour opens at The Rondo Theatre in Bath from 9 to 11 September 2027 before visiting venues across England and Wales, including Salisbury Playhouse, Harrogate Theatre, Victoria Wood Theatre, Buxton Opera House, Floral Pavilion and Theatre Severn, concluding at BEAM in Hertford on 12 November.
The Production Garden’s recent productions include Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of), Eric & Ern, Motorhome Marilyn and the award-winning Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
