The leggy wife of rocker Sir Rod Stewart put on an age-defying display in a black floral mini dress and beige strappy sandals. Penny Lancaster and her rarely-seen brother Oliver shared a sociable moment as they spoke to journalists at the Apollo Theatre ahead of the eagerly awaited Fawlty Towers: The Play.
The West End version of the legendary sitcom comes almost half a century after it first hit British TV screens – and it’s now reached icon status. John Cleese recently spoke out on the possibility of Adam Jackson-Smith taking on the role of Basil Fawlty.
Explaining that he sees his writing on Fawlty Towers as a more crucial part of his role than his acting, he revealed that he doesn’t mind if he sees another man playing Basil. I was always aware that different people might play it if it was successful – and it’s very interesting, because sometimes they add things I can’t do,” he mused.
He was talking on the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show on Radio X last month when he delved deeper into his role as a writer. I always said I was a writer-performer – but the writing always came first,” he explained.
He went on to reveal that he would usually take an amazing six weeks to create each Fawlty Towers episode. The showbiz veteran continued: “The reason that my scripts are good – and obviously, you know, I’m boasting, but they are very good – is because we took six weeks.
“If it’s six weeks, you come up with more ideas and the more funny ideas you have the funnier the show is!”
Tipped as the “stage comedy event of the year”, Fawlty Towers: The Play is set to wow audiences.
John, who is now 84, mischievously suggested recently that he’d reprised his Basil role to avoid having to fly economy.
He added to The Times: “This is about getting myself a nest egg, so I can get a place in the sun, because I have a problem with British weather.
John then joked: “If there’s a crisis, you can throw money at it. That’s the best thing about money.
“The next stage is to have enough not to have to fly commercial. I’m 6’4” and I find flying absolutely awful.”
Penny’s husband Rod was absent from the glitzy red carpet celebrations this evening, despite them often seeming inseparable.
However, she was all smiles, suggesting that, like the thousands of other guests, she was looking forward to catching Fawlty Towers in a new and unique format.
