Lesley Joseph joins Road cast at the Royal Exchange

Down the Road: l-r Lucy Beaumont, Johnny Vegas and Shobna Gulati, and Lesley Joseph, in rehearsals for the 40th anniversary production of Road at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. Pics: Ros Kavanagh

Sit-com legend Lesley Joseph (Birds Of A Feather) joins the already-announced comedian Lucy Beaumont; Coronation Street, Loose Women and stage star Shobna Gulati; St Helens' own Johnny Vegas, and Sir Tom Courtenay (who will appear in the production on film) in the Manchester Royal Exchange production of Farnworth-born Jim Cartwright's classic northern fable Road (February 13-March 14).

Now busy in a succession of stage roles, Lesley's previous stage roles include Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein - for which she received an Olivier nomination; the Mother Superior in Sister Act: The Musical and Miss Hannigan in Annie.

Directed by the theatre's artistic director, Selina Cartmell, the revival of Cartwright's first play marks the 40th anniversary of a work that has been showered with awards. Cartwright himself directed a production at the Exchange in 1995.

Set in a deprived working-class area of Lancashire during the Thatcher government of the 1980s, Scullery guides audiences down the road, picking up the raucous and the ready for it, as "owt can happen tonight."

More info and tickets here