Acorn Antiques heads for West End

Victoria Wood's soap parody Acorn Antiques is to be turned into a West End musical.

She has written a first draft of the script, and is now working on the music for the show, which she hopes to open next autumn.

Wood will also try to reunite much of the original cast - which included Julie Walters Celia Imrie and Duncan Preston - "diaries and hips permitting".

Walters played doddery cleaner Mrs Overall, who has an all-singing, all-dancing role in the stage version.

Wood said: "I've always wanted to write a musical and I couldn't resist the collision of song, dance and Mrs Overall.

"I just want to give people a lovely, happy night in the theatre."

Acorn Antiques, which sent up the hammy acting wobbly sets of Crossroads, ran on Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV until 1987.

To buy Acorn Antiques omnibus video (limited availability)

Published: 3 Sep 2003