THE phrase “national treasure” is bandied about so much it has become a cliche, but Maureen Lipman is truly a treasure, and she is coming to Bath Theatre Royal from Monday 29th June to Saturday 4th July in a new musical comedy which, she says, “can turn our current face of gloom into an upturned grin of happiness.”
Allegra, by the Tony Award and double Olivier-nominated playwright Peter Quilter (End of the Rainbow and Glorious!) is a hilarious and life-affirming story about family, love and holding on to joy for as long as possible.
Dame Maureen Lipman, beloved by millions for her role in Coronation Street and celebrated for her extraordinary career, takes centre stage in the title role of Allegra, a woman who loves to sing.
Allegra is full of life, joy and an irresistible urge to sing. She bursts into song at home, in the street and even in the local shops and cafés. Sometimes the orchestra plays only in her imagination. Sometimes it spills gloriously into the real world, much to the delight, confusion and occasional horror of everyone around her.
Her devoted brother Ronen (John Middletone) and her carer Anna (Elizabeth Bower) do their best to keep life steady, but how do you protect someone you love without dimming the light that makes them who they are?
Maureen Lipman says: “To find a comedy which can turn our current face of gloom into an upturned grin of happiness is rare. Allegra is about a woman who is relentlessly upbeat – in more ways than one. Ibsen it isn’t.”
Peter Quilter says: “Maureen is one of the great theatrical treasures of this country, and to have her bring Allegra to life is a joy and an honour.” The playwright has the rare distinction of four plays running across the UK in 2026: Allegra, the 20th anniversary tour of Glorious! (the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Wendi Peters and Matthew James Morrison), Step By Step on a UK tour and End of the Rainbow at the Soho Theatre in Walthamstow, with Jinkx Monsoon as Judy Garland.
At the start of her long and distinguished theatre career, Maureen Lipman spent three years with the National Theatre Company at The Old Vic led by Sir Laurence Olivier. Her acclaimed one-woman tribute to Joyce Grenfell, Re: Joyce, ran several times over five years in the West End. Other self-written one-woman shows include Live and Kidding and Up For It. Other theatre credits include: See How They Run (Shaftesbury Theatre), As You Like It (RSC), Outside Edge and Martin Sherman’s Messiah (Hampstead), Aunt Eller in the National Theatre’s Oklahoma!, Lost in Yonkers (Strand Theatre), Daytona (Park Theatre & Theatre Royal Haymarket), Harvey (Birmingham Rep and Theatre Royal Haymarket) and The Best Man (Playhouse Theatre). She has been nominated for seven Olivier Awards across categories commending acting in plays, musicals and comedy, winning in 1984 for See How They Run.
Her film credits include the Oscar-winning The Pianist and Educating Rita. Her extensive TV credits include agony aunt Jane Lucas in the groundbreaking series Agony (1979 – 81), playing Evelyn Plummer in Coronation Street since 1981, and Celebrity Gogglebox alongside Gyles Brandreth. She was married for 33 years to the late writer Jack Rosenthal, appearing in three of his TV plays including the Emmy-winning The Evacuees. She was awarded a Damehood in 2021.
Photograph by Marc Brenner