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8 September 2023 - 26 November 2023

Dawn french is a huge tw*t.

by Dawn French

Directed by Michael Grandage

Cast: Dawn French

Dawn French, the Queen of British comedy, returns to the stage this autumn with her solo show, Dawn French Is A Huge Twat . Dawn will tour the UK from 8 September-26 November 2023. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

The award-winning actor, best-selling novelist and all-round very funny lady is here to tell us more:

“This show is so named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate. There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of twattery. I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life…

Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total twat on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

2023 UK TOUR DATES

7-10 September Exeter Northcott Theatre

14-15 September Cymru Theatre

16 September York Barbican

21-24 September London Palladium

28 September New Theatre Oxford

29-30 September New Theatre Cardiff

5-6 October Birmingham Hippodrome

8 October Sheffield City Hall

14 October Tunbridge Wells

20-21 October London Palladium

26 October Aberdeen Music Hall

27 October Edinburgh EICC

28 October Dunfermline Alhambra

29 October Pavilion Theatre Glasgow

2 November Bournemouth Pavilion

3-5 November Hexagon Theatre, Reading

8-10 November Truro Hall for Cornwall

16 November Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

17 November Victoria Hall, Stoke-On-Trent

18 November Opera House Buxton

19 November Wycombe Swan Theatre

23 November Guildford G Live

24 November Brighton Dome

25 November The Anvil, Basingstoke

26 November Theatre Royal Bath

Michael Grandage is Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company (MGC) where he most recently directed the film My Policeman  (2022) starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, David Dawson and Rupert Everett which will be released on 21 October 2022. Previously, his other film work for MGC included Genius  (2016) starring Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Linney which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. For MGC in the theatre he has directed Ian McDiarmid in The Lemon Table (UK Tour), Aidan Turner in  The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Noël Coward Theatre), Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in Red (Wyndham’s Theatre), Nicole Kidman in Photograph 51 (Noël Coward Theatre), Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes (national and international tour and West End), Jude Law in Henry V , David Walliams and Sheridan Smith in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan , Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw in Peter and Alice and Simon Russell Beale in Privates on Parade as part of the season at the Noël Coward Theatre. In November he directs Emma Corrin in Neil Bartlett's adapation of Virginia Woolf's Orlando in the West End.

His opera work includes  Madama Butterfly  for Houston Grand Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera,  Le Nozzi de Figaro  for Glyndebourne and Houston,  Don Giovanni  for the Met and Billy Budd for San Francisco, Glyndebourne and BAM in New York. He was Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse (2002–2012) and Sheffield Theatres (2000-2005) where his work included Chiwetel Ejiofor in  Othello , Frank Langella and Michael Sheen in  Frost/Nixon , Derek Jacobi in  King Lear , Eddie Redmayne and Alfred Molina in  Red  (Tony Award for Best Director), Jude Law in  Hamlet  and Kenneth Branagh in  Ivanov . He won three Olivier Awards for his musical productions of  Guys and Dolls , Merrily We Roll Along  and  Grand Hotel . He is President of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He was appointed CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honors 2011. His book, A Decade At The Donmar , was published by Constable & Robins in 2012. His charity, set up to help young theatre makers, can be found at  www.mgcfutures.com .  

Lez Brotherston

Previous designs for Dawn French: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Albery Theatre) Side by Side by Sondheim (Greenwich Theatre) and the UK tours of F rench and Saunders Live, French and Saunders Still Alive, 30 Million Minutes. 

As an associate artist of New Adventures designs include : Midnight Bell, Romeo and Juliet, The Red Shoes, Sleeping Beauty, Edward Scissorhands, Lord of the Flies, Swan Lake, A Play Without Words, Highland Fling, Dorian Gray, Cinderella and The Car Man .

Other credits: Starstruck (design and additional scenario), The Secret Theatre (design and co-creative direction), The Snow Queen, The Nutcracker (Scottish Ballet), Hamlet (Shanghai Ballet), The Seven Deadly Sins (Royal Ballet Covent Garden), The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Rover, The Empress and Much Ado About Nothing (Royal Shakespeare Company), Me and My Girl and Fiddler on the Roof (Chichester), Malory Towers (Wise Children), Twelfth Night and Romantics Anonymous (Shakespeare’s Globe), Flowers for Mrs Harris , Show Boat and Pride and Prejudice (Sheffield Crucible), 946: the Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Kneehigh/Globe Theatre), Oh What a Lovely War (Stratford East/West End), Hysteria (Hampstead Theatre); Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Under the Blue Sky (West End), Sister Act (West End and worldwide), Women Beware Women and Really Old, Like 45 (National Theatre), Hedda Gabler, Design for Living and Dancing at Lughnasa (Old Vic), Duet for One (Almeida and West End), My City and Measure for Measure (Almeida), L’elisir d’amore (Glyndebourne) and Lez designed, co-wrote and co-directed Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Adam Cooper (Japan and Sadler’s Wells).

Awards: Swan Lake (New York – 1999 Tony Award) and Cinderella (1998 Olivier Award, Critics’ Circle and Ninette de Valois Award for outstanding contribution to dance). He was awarded the OBE in The Queen’s New Year Honours 2022 for services to Dance and Theatre.

Lighting Designer

Ben trained in Lighting Design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 

His work has been nominated for the Off West End Award for Best Lighting Design four times, as well as winning the award in 2018 & 2022.

Lighting Designer credits include:   Evita (Parque Villa-Lobos, Sau Paulo), Salome, Seussical, Bring it On  (Southwark Playhouse),  A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (Wilton's Music Hall),  Caterpillar  (Stephen Joseph Theatre),  The Sorrows of Satan (Brocket Hall), Dolphins & Sharks, Melting Pot, Maggie & Pierre  (Finborough Theatre),  NoMad, Lord of the Flies, Edward II  (Greenwich Theatre),  Nora: A Doll's House, H.R.Aitch, Heartbreak House, Carmen, Twang, Privates on Parade, Imagine This  (The Union Theatre),  Midlife Cowboy, Freefall  (Pleasance Theatre),  Sister (Ovalhouse),  People We Didn't Quite Meet, Red, Are We Stronger Than Winston  (The Place), Proud, Southern Belles, Stripped, The Stones  (King's Head Theatre),  One Giant Leap, Gentleman Jack, Taro, Precious Little, The White Rose, Kes, Golden F**king Years, Three Sisters, Dracula, Cinderella, Macbeth, The State of Things, Frankenstein, Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Side by Side by Sondheim,  Jack Studio Theatre.  Caterpillar, In Event of Moone Disaster, The State We're In, Elexion, Red Like Embers  (Theatre 503), A dam & Eve, Foul Pages (The Hope Theatre),  The Lower Depths, Hamlet, Burial at Thebes, Love & Information, Secret Circus  (RCSSD),  Cuncrete, Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave (UK Tour), Jamaica Inn, I Love my Love, The Lost Happy Endings, Fanny & Faggot  (Tabard Theatre),  Macbeth (Bussey Building), Lunatic, The League of Youth  (Theatre N16).

Associate/Assistant Lighting Designer credits include:   Les Misérables (UK Tour/West End/International),  Anna (National Theatre, Dorfman), Le Nozze di Figaro (Glyndebourne),  Sondheim’s Old Friends (Sondheim Theatre), The Lorax ( Old Vic),  Ostalgie (National Theatre Studio)  Project O (Southbank Centre),  Crave (Prague Quadrennial).

Alex Baranowski

Alex Baranowski is an award winning composer based in London. Nominated for a Tony Award on Broadway for The Cripple of Inishmaan directed by Michael Grandage, his work in theatre has led him to compose for numerous productions at the National Theatre, Young Vic, Old Vic, Donmar, Royal Court, RSC, Manchester International Festival, West End, Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. He recently won Best Original Film Score for True Things at Les Arcs Film Festival (The Bureau) and has scored films including the upcoming A Gaza Weekend (Film 4), BAFTA nominated The Windermere Children (Warner Bros), Nureyev (Universal), Burial (Altitude), Grierson winning Attacking The Devil and BAFTA nominated McCullin . He also notably scored Gillian Anderson’s directorial debut The Departure and two series of multi-award winning Staged for BBC One / Netflix. His full length ballet for Northern Ballet / Sadler’s Wells Nineteen Eighty-Four won the South Bank Award for Dance, and he has also composed for Ballet Black at the Royal Opera House. Alex has collaborated with multi Grammy winning artist Labrinth , Mercury Prize winning The xx alongside the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Jungle , Clean Bandit , Underworld and virtuoso violinists Angele Dubeau and Daniel Hope. He was recently nominated as Breakthrough Composer of the Year from the International Film Music Critics Association and is presently completing his first album. 

George Reeve

Video Designer

George is a UK based video and projection designer whose work can been seen across the UK and internationally.

Video design credits include: Stephen Sondheim Old Friends (Sondheim Theatre); Sandi Toksvig - Next Slide Please (UK Tour), SIX (London & Broadway), SIX (The Tonight Show), The Sound of Music (National Tour), Gypsy (Alexandra Palace), My Son’s A Queer, But What Can You Do? (Turbine Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Dominion Theatre), RENT , The WIZ & Hushabye Mountain (Hope Mill Theatre), But I’m A Cheerleader (Turbine Theatre), The Pleasure Garden, Dick Whittington & Tommy On Top (Above The Stag), Avalanche (Bloom Theatre), The Wind in the Willows (UK and UAE Tour), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & WANNABE (UK tour), Cinderella In Concert (Cadogan Hall), Welcome Aboard (Viking Cruises), Musicals In Concert (Palladium, Stuttgart).

Associate Design and Animator credits include : Frozen (Theatre Royal Dury Lane & Theatre an der Elbe), Anastasia (International Associate Designer), Les Misérables (Gielgud & Sondheim Theatre), SpongeBob Live Television Broadcast (Nickelodeon), Starstruck (ITV), Frozen (North American Tour), TINA (Aldwych & Hamburg), Paramour (Cirque Du Soleil), Divas For Democracy (StageIt Stream), The Sound Inside (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Flight (Royal Caribbean), Aladdin (Walt Disney Co.), Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney Co.), All My Sons (Broadway).

George was an Offie 2022 Finalist for Best Video Design for his work on The Pleasure Garden at Above the Stag.

Reviews and Marketing

Past Productions

Backstairs Billy

The Lemon Table

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Labour of Love

Photograph 51

30 Million Minutes

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Peter and Alice

Privates on Parade

Poetry Week

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Dawn French Is A Huge Twat

Review of the national treasure's tour as it hits the London Palladium

Dawn French pitches her latest theatrical stand-up show as an antidote to the curated perfection of social media. For flaws are what make us human, she argues – if only as an aside – while demonstrating that even national treasures have their tales of toe-curling embarrassment, and plenty of them.

Indeed, it’s precisely French’s willingness to embrace such moments of cringe that makes her so loved, showing herself to be just as big an idiot as the best of us.She might be a star now, but on making her first film she was just as clueless about the process as we would be – probably even more so.

Her celebrity, and proximity to even bigger stars, gives her a supporting cast that includes Meryl Streep, Kenneth Branagh, Ian McKellen, Elton John and Colin the hippo wrangler. Any one of these encounters would make a fantastically amusing talk show story, but the cumulative effect of sharing her idiocy has a more endearing effect. It’s impossible not to be charmed by these two hours of (mostly) self-deprecating anecdotes.

To be fair, not all of the twattishness is hers. The best tale has Dustin Hoffman acting very oddly in a backstage encounter – and, even more hilariously, apparently oblivious to his weirdness. And a story about an argument with her Comic Strip colleague Peter Richardson burnishes her feminist credentials… and shows not all those alternative comedy pioneers were quite as right-on as they liked to think.

But mostly French is the butt of her own stories, from a terribly misjudged fancy-dress costume she and then-hubby Lenny Henry chose for Sir Elton’s 50th birthday to mistakenly thinking Ben Elton had offered her the lead in a West End play and to screwing up her audition for the Mamma Mia! movie so badly she lost the role that should have been a shoo-in. But at least she got her revenge in sketch form later…

Each story is skilfully constructed. And for all the starriness, French brings an everywoman intimacy to every anecdote. Just like a non-famous ‘Muggle’, she’s prone to getting starstruck, such as suddenly realising her adoration for Norah Jones makes her just another deluded fangirl. Tricks like calling her agent simply ‘Maureen’ add to the convincing illusion we are all friends here, sharing an indiscrete dinner party chat. 

Initially, her delivery sounds more rehearsed than your average stand-up, but her warmth soon percolates through. Even if some of the stories lack proper punchlines – the catchphrase-like reiteration of ‘What. A. Twat’ an increasingly flimsy substitute to a real payoff – the following tale is always eagerly awaited, the journey as important as the destination. 

‘Have no regrets’ is her take-out message, even if she must surely have rued her choices in the moment. The press recently picked up the story of her knackering her knee recreating the Vicar of Dibley puddle plunge on a chat show, and is a fine example of her ‘just get on with it’ resilience. No compensation-culture lawsuit from her, though you think she might have warranted one.

Dawn French Is A Huge Twat has just enough theatrical flourishes to make it feel at home at the London Palladium, with some well-placed visuals on the big screen and a very obviously engineered standing ovation finale. But it is French’s charisma – earned from turning her shame into laughs – that fills the space effortlessly.

• Dawn French Is A Huge Twat is at the London Palladium until Sunday and continues on tour until November 26.  Dawn French tour dates . She is also releasing a book on the same theme next month:

Review date: 22 Sep 2023 Reviewed by: Steve Bennett Reviewed at: London Palladium

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Rebecca Keith / October 9, 2023

Dawn French is a Huge Twat – Everything you need to know!

Dawn French, the Queen of British comedy, returns to the stage with her one-woman stand-up show  ‘Dawn French is a Huge Twat’  playing across Australia in April and May 2024. These mark Dawn French’s first Australian shows since her 38 sold out shows in 2016.

“This show is so named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate,” French said, “There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of twattery. I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give Australian audiences a peek behind the scenes of my work life…Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total twat on-stage, live-in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

Dawn French 2024 New Zealand Dates

• May 21, 2024, – Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington NZ
• May 29, 2024, – Auckland Town Hall, Auckland NZ

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday 12 October @ 11am (local time)

Find tickets

Wondering how to get tickets? Here’s everything you need to know!

We know you are counting down the days to get your tickets with us, but before purchasing your tickets you might have some questions – that’s why we’ve put this handy guide together with everything you need to know.

When do tickets for Dawn French go on sale?

Live Nation & Ticketmaster Presales

Tuesday 10th October @ 11am – Thursday 12th October @ 10am (local time)

General Public Onsale

Thursday 12 th  October @ 11 am (local time)

Dawn French 2024 Ticket Tips

How do I purchase Accessible Seating tickets for Dawn French?

Accessible tickets (including Companion Cards) can be purchased by calling our Customer Service team on the Accessible Bookings line Monday – Sunday 9am – 5pm NZDT:  09 970 9711.  This phone number is reserved for patrons with accessibility requirements and companion cardholders and cannot process any other ticketing requests.

Want to ensure you’re in the most in demand areas of the venue?

A small portion of tickets will be allocated to In Demand Tickets which are tickets to Dawn French in some of the most sought-after areas of each venue. Please Note – Ticket prices may fluctuate based on demand.

In Demand tickets are made available by artists and event organisers through Ticketmaster. They give fans fair and safe access to the most sought-after areas in the venue at market-driven prices (adjusting prices according to supply and demand). In Demand tickets are ticket-only purchases, and prices are subject to change at any time.

Want a memento? Grab a collector ticket.

If you’re looking for a small piece of memorabilia to remember your Dawn French experience by, look no further than a limited-edition Collector Ticket. Collector Tickets are only made available for selected events and can be purchased through the normal purchase process – be sure to select a “Collector Ticket” ticket type when choosing your tickets. They incur a $15 surcharge.

Collector tickets can only be delivered to fans via mail. Collector Tickets are not available to those without a valid New Zealand address. You must provide a New Zealand postal address to receive Collector Tickets.

Get to know Ticketmaster’s Smart Queue

We expect that tickets to Dawn French will be in high demand, and to make the process fair for everyone you may be placed in a queue.

You will be assigned a random place in the queue once the Presale starts. Your place in the queue is not based on what time you entered the Waiting Room. We suggest entering the Waiting Room 15-30 minutes prior to the start of the Presale.

Once you get your spot in the queue, please do not refresh your browser as you will be pushed to the end of the line.

We will get you through the queue as quickly as possible, so please sit tight.

Get to know Ticket Transfer so everyone has their own ticket

1. Open the Ticketmaster App

2. Tap on my events and select the event you want to Ticket Transfer

3. Tap ‘Transfer’ below the ticket you want to share (please note: you may have to wait a moment for the ‘Transfer’ button to load)

4. On the ‘Select Tickets To Transfer’ page, confirm the ticket you want to share (please note – you must Transfer each ticket individually)

5. Tap the ‘Transfer To’ button. Tap ‘Manually Enter A Recipient’ & enter your friend’s ‘First Name’, ‘Last Name’, and ‘Email Address or Mobile Number’

6. Tap ‘Transfer Ticket’. The ticket in your account will now say “Sent”. You can cancel or recall the Ticket Transfer at any time.

7. Your friend receives an email, asking them to accept the transferred tickets, and they can either login or create a new Ticketmaster account to accept.

8. The tickets are now ready to go in your friend’s Ticketmaster account and marked as ‘Transferred’ in your account

Find out more about Ticket Transfer – including how to accept and open a transferred ticket here. 

Log into your Ticketmaster account and update your password if needed!

Get in early and ensure all your MyTicketmaster account details are up to date – from your password to your card details and your phone number.

Ticketmaster will regularly ask you to update your password to ensure the security of your account – you don’t want to get stuck having to change your password while the ticket timer is counting down during onsale as you can risk losing the incredible tickets you have secured.

Instead, now that you know you want to purchase tickets, log into your account and update your password today to ensure you are ready to nab those tickets.

Hints and tips for improving your chances of getting Dawn French tickets

Make sure you have a my ticketmaster account.

Get the basics covered before tickets go on sale by logging in and checking your Ticketmaster account ahead of time. If you don’t have a Ticketmaster Account then make sure you sign up in advance –  Ticketmaster.co.nz

Sign into your My Ticketmaster account ahead of time

Remember to triple check your passwords, account information, and billing information are all filled in correctly in advance, that way you’re not facing any last-minute account updates when trying to process your order.

Keep your options open with ‘Best Available’

Save time by searching “Best Available,” which scans all sections fast – it’s quicker than searching sections one at a time.

Keep an eye on the clock

There will be a time limit applied to all transactions as you are progressed through the ticket purchasing stages. Remember to keep an eye on the timer on your screen and move through the processing pages as quickly as possible (this is even easier when you’ve completed the account set-up stage we mentioned above).

Don’t refresh your screen

Stick to one window while you’re in the  Waiting Room  and when you’re being pushed through  the Smart Queue  and always resist the urge to refresh.

Hitting the refresh button means you’ll lose your place in the queue and, as frustrating as it can get, patience is the only way to win this game. Ticketmaster is equipped with sophisticated systems that are designed to manage and process ticket purchases as quickly as possible. The queuing system that appears on your screen will place you at the front of the line as soon as possible.

Remember: there are a lot of fans

We’re expecting this to be a very popular event. When a popular event goes on sale there are hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of customers all attempting to purchase tickets at the same time. Tickets are sold as long as seats are available, and when an act is this popular, sometimes they go very quickly.

Be sure to follow the above tips to ensure you have the best chance of snapping up some tickets.

Dawn French will bring her one-woman stand-up show  ‘ Dawn French is a Huge Twat’ to New Zealand in May 2024. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.co.nz

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Culture | Comedy

Dawn French at the London Palladium review: a spectacularly self-mocking, must-see show

We’ve all been in situations where we’ve said the wrong thing and wanted the ground to swallow us up. Dawn French has been there too. Frequently. The difference is that she has collated them to create the gloriously funny, spectacularly self-mocking must-see show Dawn French Is A Huge Twat.

The other difference is that French’s anecdotes feature a glittering supporting cast. Getting tongue-tied with Dustin Hoffman . Choosing the wrong fancy dress for Elton John ’s party. Ian McKellen . Ken Branagh. Somehow she finds room for affectionate nods to her ex-husband Lenny Henry and her double act partner Jennifer – or “Fatty” as she calls her – Saunders.

This is not a show that particularly engages with cutting-edge issues. An early tale about winning a toy troll in a raffle which highlights French’s endearing gullibility makes no mention of the contemporary meaning of the word troll. And the closest the show comes to referencing French and Saunders as pioneering feminists is an account of her refusing to say a smutty line in a film.

Instead the reminiscences roll on, even if some of them don’t quite fit the title’s buttock-clenching remit. There’s the mishearing of a job offer from Ben Elton. Acting in Harry Potter alongside an amorous hippo. Trying to recreate the famous Vicar of Dibley falling into a puddle sketch and knackering her knee. In less skilful hands these autobiographical titbits could have been little more than dinner party chat, but the energetic 65-year-old, sporting her trademark bob albeit now in platinum after a brief quiff period, has the charm and clownish charisma to turn the slightest of incidents into 24-carat gossipy gold.

Various incidents centre on triumphing over failure. She thought she had lost a part in Death on the Nile due to her bad American accent. Instead she was merely told to play it as a Brit. And while she missed out on being cast in Mamma Mia! due to some screechy singing she reenacted Julie Walters’ role in a TV sketch, one of the highlights in the second half when screened behind her.

A question remains. Are we seeing the full French or just a sliver of a multi-faceted personality? You don’t get to be a comedy legend without serious amounts of drive. One story, about taking a curtain call after a Strindberg drama she wasn’t even in suggests that she is surely also the “needy show-off” she jokes about.

The monologue, directed by Michael Grandage but never overly theatrical, is packed with gaffes that will make you guffaw. Apart from a passing aside suggesting twatty reality is better than faked Instagram perfection there is no real message here. Not as deep as that Dibley-shaped puddle she plunged into, just lashings of laughs.

Until Sunday then October 19 - 21; dawnfrenchontour.com

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Dawn French announces new live show with X-rated name and admits it’s ‘horribly accurate’

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Dawn French is heading out on a UK tour, and it has a questionable name.

The comedian has also released the dates for her upcoming solo show, with tickets on sale now.

The French and Saunders star – where she starred alongside pal Jennifer Saunders – has written the show herself, and is looking forward to delighting fans with ‘buttock clenching embarrassing stories.’

What is Dawn French’s tour called?

In true Dawn French style, her UK tour is titled Dawn French Is A Huge Tw*t.

Explaining the meaning behind the explicit name, the funny lady said it’s ‘horribly accurate.’

‘This show is so named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate. There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of tw*ttery.

‘I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life.’

‘Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total tw*t on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears,’ she joked.

The show is produced by PML and MGC and directed by Michael Grandage, with set and costume design by Lez Brotherston.

The award-winning actor will return to the stage this autumn, following her most recent appearance in Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot thriller Death on the Nile .

What are Dawn French’s UK tour dates?

Dawn will tour the UK from September 15, opening at Peterborough’s New Theatre.

She’ll then perform a further 19 shows across the country until October 16.

The full list of dates is as follows:

September 15 Peterborough New Theatre September 16 Oxford New Theatre September 17 Leicester De Montfort Hall September 18 Stoke on Trent Victoria Hall September 22 Sheffield City Hall September 23 Blackburn King George’s Hall September 24 Bradford St Georges Hall September 25 Northampton Royal & Derngate September 29 Aylesbury Waterside Theatre September 30 Portsmouth Guildhall October 1 Cambridge Corn Exchange October 2 Southend Cliffs Pavilion October 6 Plymouth Pavilion October 7 Torquay Princess Theatre October 8 Basingstoke The Anvil October 9 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre October 13 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre October 14 Eastbourne Congress Theatre October 15 Woking New Victoria Theatre October 16 Ipswich Regent Theatre

How to get tickets

If you’re a Dawn French fan and want to see her live, you’re in luck because tickets for her tour are on sale now.

Head to DawnFrenchOnTour.com for more info and book via Ticketmaster.

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Tickets for Dawn French Is A Huge Twat! are available now!

The nation's favourite actress and comedian Dawn French is heading on a horribly accurate, hilariously witty UK Tour to showcase a loveable persona that has captured the hearts of the UK for over two decades. Witness this hilarious display of twattery at the London Palladium with British icon Dawn French !

About Dawn French

Dawn French works across many different industries, she is an actor, a comedian, a presenter, and a writer. Originally born in Wales to British parents, she studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where she would later meet her long-term friend and collaborator Jennifer Saunders . Saunders and French rose to prominence during a time of alternative comedy, French and her double-act partner starred in the BBC comedy sketch show French and Saunders , which was a smash hit and ran for 6 series, making timely and funny observations of British life and popular culture.

Dawn French later starred in The Vicar of Dibley , a British sitcom centred around a female bishop in the fictional town of Dibley, the series is amongst the most successful of the digital era, an audience of 12.3 million watched the final full-length episode to see her character's marriage ceremony. French has appeared in multiple films, such as Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe . Theatre credits include productions such as Snow White at the Palladium, Jack and The Beanstalk and A Midsummer’s Night Dream .

About Dawn French Is A Huge Twat!  

In Dawn French Is A Huge Twat! French reveals the good, the bad and all things alluring about her 40-year career in the entertainment industry. In this hugely endearing production, Dawn French immerses herself in stories of her own self-mortification, from screwing up lines and accents on screen, to misunderstanding her doctor's diagnosis, French presents all of the mishaps over her enduring career that have made her…well, a bit of a twat!

Dawn French Is A Huge Twat! teaches us to embrace the things that we so often push away, the traits and quirks that we believe make us awkward. It is about celebrating our social awkwardness, all from the queen of comedy herself! 

Join Dawn French on her massive UK Tour and discover all the nitty, gritty details of her 40-year career, and hear about all the times she’s made a complete twat of herself in this beautiful night of ingenious self-mockery! Book tickets for Dawn French Is A Huge Twat! today!

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British Theatre New Round Up: 14 August 2024

Top British Theatre News: 31 July 2024

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat UK Tour 2025

Published on

February 17, 2022

Dawn French UK Tour - Dawn French Is A Huge Twat - New dates for 2023

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Dawn French

• Wed 11 Sep Truro, Hall For Cornwall Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets
• Thu 12 Sep Truro, Hall For Cornwall Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets
• Sun 15 Sep Bath Theatre Royal Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T Sold out
• Tue 17 Sep Guildford, G Live Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T Sold out
• Wed 18 Sep Basingstoke, The Anvil Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T Sold out
• Thu 19 Sep Brighton Dome Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets
• Fri 20 Sep High Wycombe, Swan Theatre Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets
• Mon 23 Sep Buxton Opera House Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T Sold out
• Tue 24 Sep Nottingham, Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T Sold out
• Wed 25 Sep Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets
• Thu 26 Sep Nottingham, Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Dawn French Is a Huge TW*T View tickets

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DAWN FRENCH ANNOUNCES NEW 2023 UK TOUR DATES FOLLOWING MAJOR DEMAND FOR TICKETS

DAWN FRENCH ANNOUNCES

NEW 2023 UK TOUR DATES

FOLLOWING MAJOR DEMAND FOR TICKETS

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM DAWNFRENCHONTOUR.COM

Following major demand for tickets, the Queen of comedy Dawn French has announced a host of new UK tour dates for her critically acclaimed live one-woman show, ‘ Dawn French Is A Huge Twat ’, for 2023. Tickets are available from DawnFrenchOnTour.com.

The hilarious and endearing sell-out show toured earlier this year to rave reviews and wall-to-wall standing ovations. Now, Dawn will return to the stage from September to November 2023, playing over 20 venues in many more parts of the country including several nights at the world-famous London Palladium.

In ‘Dawn French Is A Huge Twat’, the award-winning actor, best-selling novelist and comedy legend invites audiences to join her on a whirlwind journey through some of the most embarrassing, misguided and undignified moments of her personal and professional life, deep-diving into the countless times she has demonstrated – in her own words – “a spectacular display of twattery”.

Announcing these 2023 shows, Dawn said: “Attention all Twats! We grossly underestimated just how many glorious Twats are out there, wanting this show, so here I come, the second leg of the tour. Wooohooo! I couldn’t be more chuffed if I were a chough. So now, stop nagging me on social media about the fact we missed your town…and get booking. I’m bringing my Twat to a theatre near you, it’s futile to resist.”

‘Dawn French Is A Huge Twat’ is written by Dawn French. The show is produced by PML & MGC and directed by Michael Grandage. Set and Costume Design by Lez Brotherston.

Listings Information:

Website: DawnFrenchOnTour.com

Twitter: @Dawn_French

Instagram: @DawnRFrench

DAWN FRENCH IS A HUGE TWAT – UK TOUR 2023

7 – 10 September Northcott Theatre, Exeter

14 September Venue Cymru, Llandudno

16 September York Barbican

21 – 24 September London Palladium

28 September New Theatre, Oxford

29 – 30 September New Theatre, Cardiff

5 – 6 October Birmingham Hippodrome

8 October City Hall, Sheffield

14 October Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall

26 October Aberdeen Music Hall

27 October EICC, Edinburgh

29 October Glasgow Pavilion

2 November Bournemouth Pavilion

3 – 4 November Reading Hexagon

8 – 9 November Hall for Cornwall, Truro

16 November Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham

17 November Victoria Hall, Stoke

18 November Buxton Opera House

19 November High Wycombe Swan

23 November Guildford, G Live

24 November Brighton Dome

25 November The Anvil, Basingstoke

26 November Theatre Royal, Bath

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Dawn French Is A Huge Twat

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“This show is so-named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate. There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of twattery.

I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life…

Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total twat on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

Running Time

Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes including an interval

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Directions >, concessions for patrons with disabilities.

£5 off standard price tickets in all seating areas. 2 for 1 on standard ticket prices for disabled patrons who require the service/support of a companion. Limited availability

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Ticket prices subject to change. Discounts and concessions all offered subject to availability at the discretion of the Information and Sales Manager and may be withdrawn at any time. Restrictions apply (eg. limited allocation caps or expiry dates etc) Discounts and offers are non retrospective and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Valid ID must be presented where applicable. Additional discounts may be offered from time to time.

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Our newly refurbished, stylish space is the perfect place for pre-show dining. Join us for Afternoon Tea or in the evening for a menu of sharing platters, small plates and sweet treats all inspired by the Mediterranean.

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Add some VIP sparkle to your Hippodrome experience with a Diamond or Champagne package in our luxurious lounge.

The Coffee Bar

Our Coffee Bar is open before the show and during the interval for hot and cold drinks, snacks or a quick and tasty bite to eat.

You’ll find kiosks in the foyers selling a range of confectionery, Marshfield ice creams (which can also be pre-ordered) and chilled soft drinks as well as the current show programme.

“Mini masterpieces of self-mockery. Hugely engaging stories from her 40-year career”

The Guardian

You’re invited: Hippodrome Heritage Open Day

Full lineup of performances announced for hippodrome live, cast and creative team announced for hippodrome's new musical the jingleclaw.

Start: Wednesday, Apr 10, 2024 @ 19:30 End:  Friday, Apr 12, 2024 @ 22:00

Presented by: Live Nation

Dawn French, the Queen of British comedy, returns to the stage with her one-woman stand-up show playing across Australia in April and May 2024.

These mark Dawn French’s first Australian shows since her 38 sold out shows in 2016. “This show is so named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate,” French said, “There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun. I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give Australian audiences a peek behind the scenes of my work life…Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

Dawn French is a much-loved figure in Australia, having toured most recently in 2016 with her first solo stand-up show Thirty Million Minutes – performing a magnificent 38 shows across the country, due to overwhelming demand!

Few people are as firmly ensconced in the British comedy firmament as Dawn French. As one half of the ground-breaking comedy duo French & Saunders (with Jennifer Saunders) she blazed a trail that shaped TV comedy through the 80s and 90s, spoofing everyone from Oasis to The Corrs and brilliantly sending up films such as Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings series. In the early 90s, both French and Saunders forged separate but equally successful paths, creating two comedy institutions in the process. As Jennifer Saunders launched Absolutely Fabulous, Dawn French starred in multiple roles in the black comedy Murder Most Horrid, often playing both murderer and murdered in the same episode. This was followed by the enormously popular Richard Curtis series The Vicar Of Dibley, which attracted over 12 million viewers to its series finale. Dawn is also a successful author, having written six best-selling books. Her latest book, is published in October.

French has also enjoyed considerable success on stage, both as a stand-up comedian and actress, and on the big screen in films from Coraline to Death On The Nile. In 2022, she announced her return to the stage with her show Dawn French.

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Dawn French reveals setback in emotional post amid painful health condition

The vicar of dibley star has spoken openly about her arthritis .

Dawn French has been forced to cancel her remaining tour dates, following a setback with her arthritis. Sharing an update with fans on Friday, the actress, 66, revealed that her knee has become increasingly painful, affecting her ability to walk. 

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"Hello folks. It's with a massively heavy heart and furious [expletive] that I have to admit defeat and postpone all of my remaining tour dates from tonight onwards," she began. 

"My stupid selfish ol' arthritic knee has totally given up & won't let me walk. I am swearing a lot. I am bereft to let you down. Sorry. On the upside, I can have the op I so desperately need, earlier than planned. Ouch. And sorry again. We are working hard to reschedule all the dates. Bear with…" 

Shortly after posting, Dawn was inundated with messages of support. Among them, Loose Women star Ruth Langsford  wrote: "Poor you…hope you manage to get in for that op soon. Have a good, [expletive] swear!" 

"Rest up and wishing you a speedy recovery Queen," commented one fan. "Tell the surgeon to look after you as you're such a national treasure (absolutely true). Wishing you a speedy recovery," added a second. 

In recent years, Dawn has spoken openly about her health condition, and in 2020, the comedian reflected on how painful her arthritis can be. 

Speaking to Radio Times , she said: "It's a privilege to get older, but it's not for wusses. Things go a bit wrong… your rheumatoid arthritis knee stops you walking your dog a long way every morning, you know you've got to have a little op on that at some point, and you've got to take six weeks off… But ultimately, it ain't so bad." 

On occasion, Dawn has also posted photos from her MRI scans, which are typically used to detect arthritis, as well as assisting with monitoring treatments and pain-relieving therapies. 

MORE:  Dawn French's royal-worthy garden at £2m home with rarely-pictured husband Mark revealed

READ:  Why Lenny Henry and Dawn French divorced after 25-year marriage

Following her diagnosis, Dawn has worked to improve her arthritis with physiotherapy. In August, the Vicar of Dibley star shared a photo of her feet and knees, with an exercise ball gripped between her legs. "Glamorous start to the day when you have a crumbly knee," she penned, before explaining that she has osteoarthritis.

According to the NHS, osteoarthritis is a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff, with the ailment being the most common type of arthritis in the UK. The knees, hips and small joints of the hands are areas most commonly affected by the condition, so Dawn isn't alone in her pain.

Osteoarthritis can be caused by age, overuse of joints and obesity, with treatments including regular exercise and physiotherapy.

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