Cast Set For 2026 Tour of THE ARCHERS: LIVE AT 75

BBC Radio 4's The Archers will mark its 75th anniversary this summer with a major live stage tour and Fane Productions have announced which members of the Radio 4 cast will be appearing live on stage.

Joining the tour are eight of Ambridge's most beloved voices, performing in two rotating casts of four. Named in a nod to the show's setting, the Flower Cast brings together Timothy Bentinck (David Archer), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter), Ben Norris (Ben Archer) and Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller), while the Produce Cast features Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge), Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary),  Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin) and Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy).

Produced by Fane Productions and licensed by the BBC, The Archers: Live at 75 tours from June to November 2026. Hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, each performance will feature a cast of four actors and Vanessa Nuttall, The Archers' live sound-effects specialist.

First broadcast on 1st January 1951, The Archers is the world's longest-running drama. Broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, the programme follows the lives, loves and evolving fortunes of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge. Over more than 20,000 episodes, it has reflected social change in Britain while remaining rooted in the rhythms of rural life, and continues to be one of the BBC's most popular titles on BBC Sounds.

Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, the live production blends theatricality, nostalgia and behind-the-scenes insight. The evening includes on-stage interviews, insider stories, live performances of a specially written episode created exclusively by The Archers' scriptwriters for the tour, demonstrations of the foley artistry that creates Ambridge's distinctive soundscape, archive material from the BBC vaults, audience questions, a pub quiz inspired by The Bull, and a sing-along to the programme's theme tune.

Quote from Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter): “I'm so thrilled to be part of The Archers tour - bringing 75 magical years of Ambridge to the stage is an absolute dream come true! Can't wait to share the laughter, tears and heart of Ambridge with fans everywhere!”

Quote from Timothy Bentinck (David Archer): “I'm so excited to be part of the upcoming The Archers national tour of the UK. We'll be on stage but the show will be very interactive, and Archers listeners and fans will be just as much a part of it as us. So come and join us at the Flower and Produce Show, and as an added treat get to see how the clever sound effects are achieved. Hint, it's all done with yoghurt and ironing boards!”

Quote from Serena Brett and James Albrecht, Directors at Fane Productions: “When we put our minds to the casting for this tour, we knew it had to truly represent the world of Ambridge. We worked closely with the programme's Editor, Jeremy Howe, and the wider team at the BBC to bring together actors whose characters span generations of village life - from the Archer family at its heart, to the Aldridges, the Horrobins and beyond. We've aimed to reflect the full breadth of the programme: heritage and newer voices, different ages and perspectives, and some of the most iconic characters alongside those driving its current storylines. We hope audiences feel we have done Ambridge justice - and we can't wait to bring them together on stage!”

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Timothy Bentinck (David Archer)
Timothy Bentinck joined The Archers as David Archer in 1982. A graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and winner of the Carleton Hobbs Radio Award, his television credits include The Crown, Ted Lasso, Gentleman Jack, Andor, Renegade Nell, The Nevers and Bergerac. He was awarded an MBE for services to drama in 2018.

Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge)
Charles Collingwood has portrayed Brian Aldridge since 1975. Trained at RADA, his career spans radio, television and film, with credits including The Dark Crystal, ITV Playhouse and Hotel Babylon. He remains one of the longest-serving members of the cast.

Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller)
Annabelle Dowler is best known as Kirsty Miller in BBC Radio 4's The Archers. A former member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, her extensive radio work includes Wuthering Heights, Tumanbay and Take Me to Hope Street. Television credits include Unforgiveable, Ludwig,  Outlander - Blood of My Blood, The Suspect, The Reckoning, Brexit: An Uncivil War, Doctor Who, Silent Witness, and Lewis, with upcoming series The Blame. Film includes Suffragette and Your Christmas or Mine? Her theatre work spans the National Theatre, Birmingham Rep and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse. She also plays May in the multi-award-winning video game It Takes Two.

Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary)
Ryan Kelly has portrayed Jazzer McCreary since 2000. A graduate of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he won the inaugural Tyzack Award in 2011 presented by Dame Maggie Smith. Over more than two decades, Jazzer has evolved from tearaway to devoted family man, becoming one of Ambridge's most enduring characters. A lifelong Archers fan, he has been listening since the age of eleven and is now living the dream from the inside. 

Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter)
 Charlotte Martin has played Susan Carter (née Horrobin) since the early 1980s through iconic storylines, including the 1993 imprisonment that sparked the "Free the Ambridge One" campaign. Alongside her acting career in television, theatre and radio, she holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Birmingham and previously worked as an Assistant Professor in Youth Mental Health.

Ben Norris (Ben Archer)
Ben Norris is an actor, poet and filmmaker whose work spans stage, screen and radio. He co-created and starred in the Olivier Award–nominated The Choir of Man, plays Rogier in the global hit video game Elden Ring. and voices Ben Archer in The Archers. His short film Toad in the Hole screened at the 2025 BFI London Film Festival and is both BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying, following earlier BBC and Channel 4 shorts that earned international festival selections and an RTS nomination. His acclaimed solo show, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Family won the IdeasTap Underbelly Award and toured worldwide, while his play Autopilot was named a Stage Best Show of 2022.

Ben also appeared in Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes on Disney+ released in 2025.

Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy)
Sunny Ormonde has played Lilian Bellamy for over 25 years, becoming one of the programme's most recognisable voices and one of the listeners' favourite characters. A seasoned theatre performer, she has appeared in everything from pantomime to Shakespeare and has created two One Woman Shows: the first An Evening With…, and the second Dorothy (The Airings of an Archers Actor's Aunt). She has also appeared with fellow Archers cast members in stage shows, Come Rain, Come Shine; Larkin About and Wicked Women. Her most recent television appearances include Casualty, Christmas at Plumhill Manor and Doctors. Sunny also has a very successful podcast, One Stiletto in the Grave.

Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin)
Susie Riddell joined The Archers in 2011 as Tracy Horrobin, having previously played Kate Aldridge from 1989-1994. Her television work includes Grace and Coronation Street, the feature film THE PEOPLE BEFORE; and a world premiere production of THE WHISTLING at the Mill at Sonning Theatre. She co-hosts the award-winning podcast Limited Time Only alongside Esther Stanford. A former member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, Susie has narrated more than 70 audiobooks and appeared extensively across BBC Radio drama including ULYSSES; THE GREAT GATSBY; MRS DALLOWAY; TAMBURLAINE; and the live broadcasts D-DAY AT 70, THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN AT 75 (BBC Radio 2 / TBI Media); VE DAY AT 70 (Classic FM / TBI Media).

Angela Barnes (host)
Angela Barnes swapped a career in health and social care for stand-up in 2010, winning the BBC New Comedy Award just a year later. She has since toured the UK extensively and become a familiar face on television, with appearances on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, House of Games, Hypothetical, and Mock the Week.

A firm favourite on radio, Angela co-hosts The Jon Richardson Radio Show on Absolute Radio on Saturday mornings. She also co-hosted the hit podcast We Are History with John O'Farrell, which amassed over a million downloads across six series.

In 2026 Angela will appear on Celebrity Bullseye, rejoin the panel for Mock the Week's upcoming return, host BBC Radio 4's brand-new series Live from the UK, and continue her tour Angst.

Vanessa Nuttall (live spot sound effects artist)
Vanessa is a freelance sound engineer creating real-time sound effects for The Archers, part of a three-person technical team. Passionate about painting pictures through listeners' ears, she brings scenes to life using creative and sometimes surprisingly unlikely props.

During 16 years at the BBC, she began as a production assistant in religious broadcasting before retraining as a sound assistant. She worked across radio and television — from drama and classical music to current affairs — with radio drama always her greatest passion. She has been a regular part of The Archers technical team for ten years.

Outside work, she enjoys walking, swimming, and gardening.

TOUR DATES

June 2026
Sunday 7th - Palace Theatre, MANCHESTER (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Monday 8th - Regent Theatre, STOKE ON TRENT (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Tuesday 9th - Royal Concert Hall, NOTTINGHAM (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Sunday 14th - The Marlowe Theatre, CANTERBURY (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Monday 15th - Corn Exchange, CAMBRIDGE (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Tuesday 16th - Regent Theatre, IPSWICH (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Wednesday 17th - Brighton Dome, BRIGHTON (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Saturday 20th - Hall for Cornwall, TRURO (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Sunday 21st - Guildhall, PORTSMOUTH (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)

September 2026
Thursday 3rd - New Wimbledon Theatre, LONDON (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Friday 4th - New Theatre, OXFORD (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Saturday 5th - G Live, GUILDFORD (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Sunday 6th - New Victoria Theatre, WOKING (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Wednesday 9th - Symphony Hall, BIRMINGHAM (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Thursday 10th - Cliffs Pavilion, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Friday 11th - De La Warr Pavilion, BEXHILL-ON-SEA (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Sunday 27th - Convention Centre, HARROGATE (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)
Monday 28th - Royal Philharmonic, LIVERPOOL (Ryan, Charles, Susie and Sunny)

October 2026
Sunday 4th - King's Theatre, GLASGOW (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Monday 5th, Playhouse, EDINBURGH (Timothy,Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Tuesday 6th - Tyne Theatre & Opera House, NEWCASTLE (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)
Wednesday 7th - The Globe Theatre, STOCKTON-ON-TEES (Timothy, Charlotte, Ben and Annabelle)