“What a plonker!” “Lovely jubbly!” “You know it makes sense!” “Cushty!” “He who dares, wins!” “This time next year we’ll be millionaires!” Catchphrases that entered the public consciousness. “Del falls through the bar”, “the smashing chandelier”, “Batman & Robin coming out of the fog”, scenes that are regularly voted amongst the funniest sitcom moments of all time. And I bet you guessed what I was talking about from the word “plonker” alone, yes Only Fools and Horses!
Starring David Jason as Derek “Del Boy” Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his hapless brother Rodney, Only Fools and Horses was a classic British sitcom that ran from 1981 to 2003 (with occasional sketches since), created by writer John Sullivan. Now it’s back as a stage musical and you can see it at Sheffield City Hall for eight performances between Monday 26 - Saturday 31 May 2025.
Only Fools and Horses was as famous for its serious moments as well as its laugh-out-loud moments. Who could forget the 1985 episode that dealt with the death of Grandad after actor Lennard Pearce’s untimely death? The mix of serious drama with comedy was ahead of it’s time and set Only Fools above its contemporaries. The 1996 episode “Time On Our Hands” holds the record for the largest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting 24.3 million viewers. It’s no wonder it was voted Britain’s Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll.
Before his sad death in 2011 aged only 64, John Sullivan had been considering the idea of a stage version of his beloved show. His son, Jim Sullivan (who had written several episodes of the Only Fools spin-off series The Green Green Grass), picked up the idea, and together with actor and comedian Paul Whitehouse, they created the musical that launched in February 2019 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, Only Fools and Horses The Musical ran for over 1,000 performances in London (a record-breaking four-year sold-out run) before embarking on a ten-month UK tour in September this year.
So what’s it all about? Audiences are invited to take a trip back in time, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham. While the yuppie invasion of London is in full swing, love is in the air as Del Boy sets out on the rocky road to find his soul mate, Rodney and Cassandra prepare to say ‘I do’, and even Trigger is gearing up for a date (with a person!). Meanwhile, Boycie and Marlene give parenthood one final shot and Grandad takes stock of his life and decides the time has finally arrived to get his piles sorted. Lovely jubbly!
The music for the show, including twenty new songs, was created by Jim Sullivan and Paul Whitehouse with Chas Hodges of legendary cockney duo Chas & Dave. And it does of course feature the iconic theme tune that everyone knows and loves!
As well as co-writing the show, Paul Whitehouse (a familiar face on TV from classic sketch shows such as “The Fast Show” and “Harry Enfield and Chums”, as well as more recently “Gone Fishing” with his friend Bob Mortimer) played Grandad and Uncle Albert in the original West End run of the show. And Sheffielders will be delighted to know that this comic great will be reprising those roles at the City Hall in May next year.
In addition to Paul Whitehouse, Only Fools and Horses The Musical stars Sam Lupton (Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors) as Del Boy and Tom Major (making his professional theatre debut) as Rodney. Georgina Hagan (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Heathers The Musical) reprises her role as Del’s wife Raquel, Craig Berry (The Bodyguard, Mama Mia) returns to his role as Boycie, and Nicola Munns (Spring Awakening, Don Giovanni) steps back into the gaudy high heels of his long-suffering wife Marlene (and Rodney’s equally long-suffering wife Cassandra).
Fans and critics alike were quick to praise Only Fools and Horses The Musical during its West End run: The Sun awarded it five stars, hailing it “One Del of a show!”; while the Daily Mirror said it was “a treat for Trotter fans" in their glowing five-star review. The Sunday Times gave it four stars saying that “Only Fools is a blast from our wide-boy past. A hearty stage adaptation of the 1980s BBC television comedy”. The Evening Standard also awarded four stars, complimenting the “unashamedly British night out. A jubilant lovely jubbly!”. While the Daily Mail urged its readers to “raise a glass of ‘Tittinger’ to Del Boy and Rodney as Only Fools and Horses storms the West End!”
Only Fools and Horses The Musical is a feel-good family celebration of traditional working-class London life in the 1980s and the aspirations we all share. Don’t be a plonker, get a ticket today for a night out that promises to be truly cushty - go on, you know it makes sense!
Tickets for Only Fools and Horses The Musical can be purchased here.
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