Ladies Day
Commissioned by Hull Truck Theatre (2005)
Published by Nick Hern Books
“There’s more cash in here than we earn in a month. It’s a Robin Hood thing, in’t it? Get in!"
Life is one long, hard slog for the fish-filleting foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda. But their fortunes are set to change when they head to Ladies Day at the races. Factory hairnets make way for fascinators as the four friends hit the races for an unforgettable day out.
Secrets are spilled with the champagne and friendships are tested to the limit. Yet as the day unfolds and tempers fray, their accumulator bet keeps quietly winning. If their luck and their nerve holds, the ladies could could hit the jackpot – and more.
Cast: 4f/1m, multi-roling
Producing/performing in Ladies Day, Ladies Down Under or Ladies Unleashed? Sign up to the trilogy’s Facebook group.
Facts & Figures
The original Ladies Day embarked on a 12-week UK tour. Subsequent productions include Liverpool Royal Court, Queens Theatre Hornchurch, the Lichfield Garrick
After 15 years, Ladies Day is Number 1 in Nick Hern Book’s Top Ten Most Performed Plays 2022, enjoying hundreds of amateur productions across the UK.
In 2018, Ladies Day was reimagined for a new production at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, with Tony Christie singing live.
Most recently, New Vic Theatre and Bolton Octagon scored a box office hit with their 2023 production of Ladies Day. Directed by Marieke Audsley, the team return in 2024 for the sequel, Ladies Down Under.
Photo credits: Andrew Billington (New Vic), Graeme Braidwood (Wolverhampton Grand) & Adrian Gatie (Hull Truck).
Ladies Day: Oldham Coliseum
Reviews
Ladies Day
“A superbly observed story in which relationships are put under huge stress before the feelgood-factor ending. The 2018 version of Ladies’ Day shows that Amanda Whittington has lost none of her talent for creating multi-layered characters that most people can identify with.”
“What sets Wolverhampton Grand’s production of Ladies’ Day apart is the depth with which each character has been written, the charm of the ladies’ intertwining stories and the strength of characterisation.”
“Whittington has carved a niche as an intelligent, popular writer with a particular ability to encapsulate the aspirations of unglamorous women who feel they deserve better … [her] characters are untouchable when they keep their white stilettos firmly on the ground.”
“Has all the makings of a huge hit … with its Yorkshire heart and soul, it has all the warmth of a Calendar Girls or Full Monty.”
“Amanda Whittington's sporting romp Ladies' Day is as much fun as a day at the races and, arguably, better value for money.”
