Quartet cast talk ahead of Birmingham REP show
It has an all-star cast. Quartet features Paul Nicholas, Wendi Peters, Sue Holderness and Jeff Rawle and tells the charming tale of four ageing opera singers. The show, which opens at Birmingham’s REP on Tuesday and runs until March 10, tells the story of Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred, who reside in a magnificent retirement home in Kent.
The rumour circling the halls is that the home is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it’s a star. Jean arrives and old rivalries resurface, secrets are revealed and chaos unfolds, but in true theatrical tradition - the show must go on.
Paul Nicholas is best known for his work in The Real Marigold Hotel and Just Good Friends, Wendi Peters starred in Coronation Street and Oh What A Lovely War!, Sue Holderness played Marlene in Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass while Jeff Rawle became a household name in Harry Potter and Drop The Dead Donkey.
Their work in the brand-new revival of the bitter-sweet comedy has dazzled critics. Quartet was created by the Oscar-winning writer Sir Ronald Harwood and is a celebration of the twilight years and the hilarity of growing old disgracefully.
The character who causes the disruption at the Kentish retirement home is played by Sue Holderness, who featured alongside Boycie in Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass.
She says: “My character in Quartet, Jean Horton, was a major star in the world of opera. In her heyday she was known as one of the finest sopranos of her generation. She retired very early, apparently to settle down and spend time with her children.
“We discover during the play that there was rather more to it than that. She is a diva. She still thinks of herself as a major star and expects all those around her to jump to her every whim. She’s really rather a monster – so thrilling to play.
