"Solid Gold Cadillac" starring Patricia Routledge & Roy Hudd at Garrick from 22 Sep 2004

"Solid Gold Cadillac" starring Patricia Routledge & Roy Hudd at Garrick from 22 Sep 2004

George S Kaufman and Howard Teichman's Solid Gold Cadillac, opens at the Garrick Theatre 27 Sep 2004, following previews from from 22 Sep 2004, and booking to 15 Jan 2005. (following a season at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford (1-11 September) and Malvern Festival Theatre (13-18 September).

Booking is now open!!

It is directed by Ian Brown, and produced by Act Productions, in association with the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford.

The cast includes: Patricia Routledge (Mrs Laura Partridge ), Roy Hudd (Edward McKeever), David Ross (Metcalfe), Lucy Briers ( Miss Shotgraven), Fred Ridgeway (Gillie), Nick Haverson (Mark Jenkins), Kate-Lynn Hocking (Miss L'Arriere).

Mrs Laura Partridge is an elderly lady. She holds a few shares in the General Products Corporation of America. Recently retired from the stage, she decides to use some of her new-found leisure to attend a shareholders' AGM. At first, the newly promoted senior management of the G.P.C.A. barely registers her presence. But not for long. When it comes to confirming their massive salary increases by proxy vote, they find she has some rather awkward questions to ask...

Patricia Routledge has had an impressive career on stage, has starred in both film and television and has worked extensively in radio. She has become one of the country's best loved actresses, she has received international acclaim for her award-winning portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bou-quet) in the BBC TV series "Keeping Up Appearances". She is also known for her part in BBC TV series "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates". She is also well known for her work in the Alan Bennett plays "A Woman of No Importance" and "A Lady of Letters", both of which were written for her. Routledge won an Olivier Award for her role as 'The Old Lady' in Jonathan Miller's production of Bernstein's "Candide". She had first worked with Bernstein in 1976 in Alan Lerner's "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" on Broadway, and Bernstein wrote the solos ('Take Care of This House' and 'Duet for One') especially for her. Other theatre credits include 'Nettie' in "Carousel" at the National Theatre, 'Lady Bracknell' in "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Haymarket and Savoy Theatres and 'Mrs Malaprop' in "The Rivals" at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End. Her numerous film credits include "To Sir With Love", "If It's Tuesday It Must Be Belgium" and other television roles include 'Kitty' in "Victoria Wood As Seen on TV" and 'Barbara Pym' in "Miss Pym's Day Out". She has been awarded the OBE, and most recently the CBE, for services to the performing arts.

Roy Hudd started his long TV career by appearing on "Not So Much A Programme, More A Way of Life", but found wider fame with 1969's "The Roy Hudd Show". Since 1975, his programme "The News Huddlines" has had an amazing run on Radio 2, and has become something of an institution. Hudd's work as a dramatic actor in television has also won him praise. Dennis Potter's "Lipstick on your Collar" proved a huge success and led to his most endearing dramatic role, again written for him by Potter, that of Spoonerism-afflicted Ben Baglin in "Karaoke". He was recently seen as Archie Shuttleworth in ITV's "Coronation Street". Hudd has appeared in numerous theatrical productions including "Oliver!" at the Albery Theatre, "Underneath The Arches" at the Prince of Wales Theatre (for which he won the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical), "Babes In The Wood" at Sadler's Wells Theatre, "Hard Times" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream, both at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

Written and premiered on Broadway in 1953, "THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC" was subsequently adapted for the screen and released in 1956 with Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas. The show was first seen in London in 1965 at the Saville Theatre, starring Margaret Rutherford and Sidney James.