Coronation Street star Maureen Lipman, who plays fan-favourite Evelyn Plummer on the ITV soap, will be swapping the cobbles for the stage as she stars in the live theatre production Rose.
The Coronation Street icon will be leaving the show for a short while to play the lead role of Rose in Martin Sherman’s play, following a run online.
Rose was first streamed last year by the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and broadcast on Sky Arts, now it will have a run at the same venue this year, from August 30 to September 11. After, it will run at the Park Theatre in London from September 13 to October 15.
The play, which first premiered at the National Theatre 1999 and was nominated for an Olivier, tells the story of feisty Jewish woman Rose, whose life began in a 1920s Russian village. Blending the personal with the political, she reflects on being a survivor from the destruction of Nazi-ruled Europe to achieving the American dream.
Talking to The Stage, Lipman described Rose as “a widow, a refugee, a grandmother, a critic, an immigrant and a hotel owner. She is the 21st century, she is Everywoman and there is no one like her.”
Reflecting on her role, Maureen said: “I am so happy to be bringing Rose by Martin Sherman to Park Theatre this September. The show was filmed last year at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and shown twice on Sky Arts to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response.
“It is a daring and possibly a terrifying leap to perform Rose live on stage, with no safety net, for a limited season at the theatre I know and last played in utter bewilderment in ‘Whodunnit Unrehearsed’.”
You can book tickets to see Maureen in Rose here.
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITV Hub.
