Fat Friends the Musical Tour is heading to the Liverpool Empire Theatre

FOLLOWING a highly successful sell out tour, in 2017, Producer Joshua Andrews is delighted to announce that Kay Mellor's smash hit:- 'Fat Friends The Musical' will return to tour the UK and Ireland opening, at Dartford Orchard Theatre, on 14 January 2022. With original music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the show will star Lee Mead as:- 'Paul' with further casting to be announced soon. The tour will visit venues including:- Cardiff New, Leeds Grand, Edinburgh Festival, Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre, The Lowry, Salford, Southampton Mayflower, Wolverhampton Grand, Canterbury Marlowe and Newcastle, Norwich and Plymouth Theatre Royals.

'Fat Friends The Musical'  is at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, from:- Monday, 23 May to Saturday 28 May 2022. Tickets are on sale now at:- ATGTickets.Com. To see all tour dates and venues please go to:- FatFriendsMusical.Com.

This hugely entertaining musical is based on the hit ITV show Fat Friends, that starred James Corden and Ruth Jones. 'Fat Friends The Musical' reunites our favourite foodie friends as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local slimming club, whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams. This show of hope, humour, love and weight loss, delivers a fun night out full of laughter and encourages us all, as the final song sings, to:- 'Love Who You Are!'

The show toured the UK to a rapturous response from critics and sell out audiences in 2017 and after a tough year for all, Kay Mellor feels that it's the perfect time to bring this feast of a feel good show back. Kay Mellor said:- "Issues of body image and online trolling are more pertinent today than ever, and will resonate with people everywhere. Despite this, using song, dance and humour I can guarantee that audiences will leave the show with a smile on their face and feeling better about themselves; something we all need right now. I'm delighted to be remounting:- 'Fat Friends The Musical' , thrilled to be working with the brilliant and talented Lee Mead and can't wait for us to bring the show to so many fantastic venues around the UK and Ireland."

Lee Mead is a much loved actor of stage and screen. Having won the nations hearts when they voted him their Joseph in BBC One's:- 'Any Dream Will Do,' Lee has gone on to star in the West End in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Legally Blonde and Wicked before establishing himself as a TV favourite on Casualty and then Holby City in the role of 'Lofty.' Lee Mead said:- "I am so excited to be returning to musical theatre after an enjoyable few years on Casualty and Holby City and I'm so thrilled to be starring in 'Fat Friends The Musical' . I saw the show when it 1st ran and absolutely loved it, so I can't wait to now play the lovelorn vicar, Paul. I'm so looking forward to performing live again to wonderful audiences around the country and working with the incredible and iconic Kay Mellor."

'Fat Friends The Musical'  is created, directed and has a book and lyrics by the multi award winning Kay Mellor, whose latest hit series of The Syndicate recently ran on BBC One. It has Music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber with Set and Costume Design by Bretta Gerecke. Choreography is by Karen Bruce, Sound by Ben Harrison, Lighting by Nick Richings with Orchestrations, Arrangements and Musical Supervision by Simon Lee, Casting by Stephen Crockett CDG for David Grindrod Associates, with Additional Casting by David Shaw. It is Produced by Joshua Andrews and Rollem Productions.

From magnet tricks to exhausted drivers taskforce battles worrying commercial vehicle trends

A specialist team is striving to reduce the alarming amount of collisions involving commercial vehicles after witnessing 378 offences on north west roads in the 1st 4 months of this year. Highways England joined up with Police Forces from:- Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to form the North West Commercial Vehicles Unit (NWCVU) amid concerns that these vehicles were frequently involved in collisions on England's Motorways and major A roads.

Illegal driver hours, faulty brakes, worn tyres and insecure loads have become a worrying trend, but they are far from the only issues facing the team. They've encountered various ploys, including a magnet device fitted to a HGV's gearbox, so the driver could trick the tacho; the machine that records speed, distance travelled and stops; into thinking the vehicle was stationary when in fact he had driven it 400 miles without a break for 11 hours.

Highways England provides funding for the commercial vehicle unit which, after a successful pilot project led by 4 constables, has become a permanent fixture with the addition of Sgt Matthew Picton to lead the team.  Anthony Thorpe, Assistant Project Manager, in Highways England's Commercial Vehicle Prevention Team, said:- "The vast majority of people drive responsibly, but unfortunately around 450 people are killed or seriously injured every year on England's motorways and major A roads as a result of a driver being impaired or distracted. Those who break the law behind the wheel are putting lives at risk which is why we work in closed partnership with the Police."

Commercial vehicles are involved in more than 30% of collisions on the network, which is why the NWCVU have prioritised changing driving behaviours. 

This vehicle carrying 2 dumper trucks and a digger had less than 1mm of tyre tread.  Greater Manchester Police Sgt, Matt Picton who is currently seconded to the North West Motorway Police, added:- "More than 20% of the vehicles we stop are breaking the law, leaving us no choice but to stop the driver's journey in its tracks. By shining a light on the issue we want to raise standards and encourage compliance, hopefully leading to a lon term reduction in incidents."

Since the unit was set up 55% of all vehicle checks revealed offences. They regularly find smaller commercial vehicles with a 3.5 tonne limit loading up to 5 tonnes. They are routinely stopped and weighed, after which the driver is fined and the vehicle cabled to prevent it being driven away.

The team work around the clock in and around DVSA check sites including:- Switch Island, Sandbach and Thornham, splitting their time between Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside. The unit now includes a dedicated vehicle examiner from the DVSA.

DVSA's Head of Enforcement Delivery Laura Great Rex said:- "DVSA's priority is to help everyone stay safe on Britain's roads and this is an excellent example of agencies working together to crack down on unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers."

Merseyside Police Roads Policing Inspector Carl McNulty added:- "Our own Commercial Vehicle Unit works in close partnership with the Region in relation to HGV safety and load offences, looking to provide education and, where necessary, enforcement. We're really looking forward to seeing this relationship develop in the coming weeks and months, and sharing our successes."

Plans are in place to work with more agencies for the next stage of work, which sees attention turn to the wider illicit use of these kind of vehicles. The unit has participated in Operation Paddington to target hauliers involved in clandestine smuggling.

They will be collaborating with the Health and Safety Executive to target HGVs putting lives in danger with insecure loads and missing nets, and recently assisted Cheshire Constabulary's rural crime team with Operation Permit which cracked down on trade waste and fly tipping. More than 100 vehicles were stopped in 1 day, with many drivers and companies prosecuted for lacking the correct licences to legally tow plant equipment and trade waste.