‘Only Fools And Horses’ is to be made into a new West End stage show, opening in February 2019.
The new musical will incorporate classic moments from the beloved British sitcom, as well as new songs, co-written by comedian Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, the son of ‘Only Fools’ creator John Sullivan.
Paul is also set to star in the new show as Grandad, while Tom Bennett and Ryan Hutton will take over the iconic roles of Del Boy and Rodney, made famous by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Revealing that John Sullivan had been working on the project at the time of his death, Paul said: “[John] was just starting to develop ‘Only Fools’ as a musical... so when writing it, Jim and I have remained very faithful to the feel and scripts of the TV series, but also highlight some contemporary issues.
“We’re very conscious of the ‘Only Fools’ legacy and that it’s so fondly remembered by people of almost all ages, so we’ve tried to incorporate everyone’s favourite moments from the TV shows and of course, all the great characters - but this time it’s with songs.”
The show will incorporate 20 new songs, with musical contributions from Chas n Dave, whose music featured on the original sitcom.
Despite repeated calls for an ‘Only Fools And Horses’ revival, leading man David Jason has ruled out the idea, claiming it wouldn’t feel right to make new episodes without the involvement of John Sullivan.
Previews for ‘Only Fools And Horses’ will begin at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on 9 February, with tickets on sale now.