WILKO: LOVE AND DEATH AND ROCK AND ROLL Will Embark on UK Tour

A figure of immense influence in the rock world and beyond, Dr Feelgood co-founder and iconic guitarist Wilko Johnsonfaced a terminal diagnosis in 2012 with the expectation of just one year left to live. Declining medical intervention, he chose to dedicate his remaining time to a meaningful farewell tour of the people and places that defined his life… only for an unexpected miracle to change the narrative entirely. Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll examines the life of this punk-movement godfather, tracing a career that spanned Dr Feelgood and Ian Dury and the Blockheads, to a late-career turn to acting in Game of Thrones. The production integrates live music and storytelling with the legend's own words, serving as a practical masterclass in living life to the fullest.

Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll embarks on its first tour after originating at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch in 2024 and transferring to Southwark Playhouse, then Leicester Square Theatre, in 2025. Some of the biggest names in rock and roll will be appearing as guests on the tour, with previous guests at Leicester Square Theatre including Norman Watt-Roy (Ian Dury and the Blockheads, the Wilko Johnson band), Billy Bragg, John Cooper Clarke and Chris Difford.

Wilko Johnson, born in Canvey Island, co-founded the legendary band Dr. Feelgood in 1971. Known for his electrifying Stage Presence and distinctive, machine-gun guitar style, Wilko and the band are widely regarded as the Godfathers of punk rock and have influenced generations of musicians. Wilko also acted occasionally, including in hit show Game of Thrones. 2025 also marked the 50th anniversary of the band's groundbreaking debut album Down by the Jetty which has been hailed as a major influence by rock legends including Paul Weller, Bob Geldof, and the Ramones. Other iconic artists - such as John Lydon of the Sex Pistols, Suggs from Madness, and members of Echo and the Bunnymen - have also credited the band with shaping their sound. 

On playing the role of Wilko Johnson, actor Johnson Willis said, “Wilko's is one of the greatest rock ‘n' roll stories ever told and his songs are some of the greatest rock ‘n' roll ever recorded. Even so, when I first read the play to him at his home in Southend five years ago, none of us could have imagined how much his story would go on to connect with audiences. My only regret is that he's not around to see this tour happen but I know, for sure, that he would have been absolutely thrilled.”

Jonathan Maitland is a playwright and former journalist having worked for the BBC across Radio 4, BBC News and presenting and producing shows for BBC 1. Maitland's debut stage play Dead Sheep (2015) produced at Park Theatre became the most successful production in the theatre's history. This record was broken by his second play also staged at Park Theatre An Audience With Jimmy Saville (2015), which went on to transfer to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Further works at Park Theatre include Deny Deny Deny (2016) and the box office record breaking The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson (2019) which went on to complete an eight-week national tour in 2020. Most recently, Maitland presented the premiere of his new play The Interview at Park Theatre and his BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Wasps in a Jam Jar in 2023. 

Johnson Willis is a musician and actor who has spent many years in the music industry playing and recording with bands. His credits include Return to the Forbidden Planet in 1999, the West End premiere of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Gillian Lynne Theatre, 2022), Amelie The Musical (National Tour, 2019, (National tour, The Other Palace and W.E Criterion) as well as productions with Theatre Clwyd Cymru, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Newbury Watermill Theatre and The New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich. 

Tour Dates

7 – 9 Sept                    
Belgrade Theatre, West Midlands
Belgrade Square, Coventry CV1 1GS
7:30pm (Mon–Wed) | £59.00 – £20.00
www.belgrade.co.uk | 024 7655 3055  

10 – 12 Sept                 
York Theatre Royal, North Yorkshire
St Leonard's Pl, York YO1 7HD
7:30pm (Thu–Sat), 2:30pm (Sat matinee) | £38.00 – £15.00
www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk | 01904 623568  

15 – 16 Sept                 
Gala Theatre, County Durham
Millennium Place, Durham DH1 1WA
7:30pm (Tue/Wed), 2:30pm (Wed matinee) | £28.00 – £20.00
www.galadurham.co.uk | 03000 266 600  

22 – 26 Sept                 
Festival Theatre (Malvern Theatres), Worcestershire
Grange Road, Malvern WR14 3HB
7:30pm (Tue–Sat), 2:30pm (Wed/Sat matinee) | £43.68 – £16.80
www.malvern-theatres.co.uk | 01684 892277 

29 Sept – 3 Oct            
New Wolsey Theatre, Suffolk
Civic Dr, Ipswich IP1 2AS
2pm, 2.30pm, 7pm & 7.30pm | £31 – £15
www.wolseytheatre.co.uk | 01473 295900  

6 – 10 Oct                    
Theatre Royal Windsor, Berkshire
32 Thames St, Windsor SL4 1PS
7:30pm (Tues–Sat), 2:30pm (Thu/Sat matinee) | £39.50 – £19.50
www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk | 01753 853888

12 – 17 Oct                  
Palace Theatre, Essex
430 London Rd, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea SS0 9LA
7:30pm (Mon–Sat), 2:30pm (Wed/Sat matinee) | £50.00 – £23.50
www.southendtheatres.org.uk | 0343 310 0030  

20 – 21 Oct                  
Lowther Pavilion, Lancashire
West Beach, Lytham Saint Annes FY8 5QQ
7:30pm (Tues/Wed), 2:30pm (Weds) | £36.50 – £26.50
www.lowtherpavilion.co.uk | 01253 794221

22 – 24 Octo                
Theatre Severn, Shropshire
Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT
7:30pm (Thu–Sat), 2:30pm (Sat matinee) | £46.20 – £19.80
www.theatresevern.co.uk | 01743 281281

27 – 28 Oct                  
Worthing Theatres (Connaught/Pavilion), West Sussex
Union Place, Worthing BN11 1LG
7:30pm (Tue), 2.30pm (Wed) | £40.00 – £22.00
www.wtm.uk | 01903 206206  

2 – 4 Nov                     
Royal & Derngate, Northamptonshire
Guildhall Rd, Northampton NN1 1DP
7:30pm (Mon–Wed) | £40.00 – £25.00
www.royalandderngate.co.uk | 01604 624811  

5 – 7 Nov                     
Fareham Live, Hampshire
Osborn Rd, Fareham PO16 7DB
7:30pm (Thu–Sat), 2:30pm (Sat matinee) | £46.00 – £23.50
www.farehamlive.com | 01329 231942  

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