Comedy Legend Jennifer Saunders Returns to Theatre Royal Bath in Major Revival of Edward Bond’s The Sea

Comedy legend Jennifer Saunders is returning to Theatre Royal Bath, taking centre stage in a major revival of Edward Bond’s The Sea, a wonderfully eccentric mix of comedy, chaos and social satire.

Best known for Absolutely Fabulous and her hugely successful comedy partnership with Dawn French, Saunders will take on the role of Mrs Rafi, a formidable and rather larger-than-life character who considers herself the leading lady of her small seaside community.

And if there’s one thing audiences can expect from Jennifer Saunders, it’s a memorable performance!

A Storm Is Brewing in More Ways Than One

Set in 1907, The Sea transports audiences to a small East Anglian coastal village, where a violent storm turns everyday life upside down.

But while the weather is causing havoc, the village has another force of nature to contend with: Mrs Rafi.

As the community’s self-appointed ‘First Lady’, she has her sights firmly set on organising an amateur dramatic production of Orpheus and Eurydice, determined to keep her fellow villagers in line.

What follows is a wonderfully unpredictable combination of eccentric characters, social tensions and theatrical mishaps, with plenty of humour along the way.

First performed at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973, Edward Bond’s The Sea is celebrated for its unusual blend of farce, comedy and sharp observations about society.

This production marks the play’s first major revival in almost 20 years.