Ambridge Fun in Wimbledon – Pay attention Archers fans: the show is on the road: The Archers: Live at 75.
And as it was on in Wimbledon this week, I couldn’t resist going along to check it out. Touring for another couple of months till November 2026, this brand-new live production is bringing the beloved iconic radio drama out of the studio and onto stages across the UK. It’s hosted by comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, and each performance features a cast of four actors alongside Vanessa Nuttall, The Archers’ live sound-effects specialist. Joining the tour are eight of Ambridge’s most beloved voices and appearing for us in Wimbledon were Tim Bentinck (David Archer), Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) and Ben Norris (Ben Archer) known collectively as the tour’s “Flower Cast”.
First broadcast on 1st January 1951, The Archers is the world’s longest-running radio drama. Broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, it follows the everyday lives, loves, and dramas of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, deep in the heart of Borsetshire in the English countryside. Over the course of more than 20,000 episodes, the show has chronicled significant social and cultural changes in Britain, dealing with complex contemporary issues alongside the traditional rhythms of rural life, earning its place as a cornerstone of the British cultural landscape.
Today, it remains one of the BBC’s most popular programmes and is currently the top on-demand show for listeners of all ages – as well as regularly topping the list of most popular on-demand programmes for listeners under 35 – on BBC Sounds.
Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, The Archers: Live at 75 includes on-stage interviews, insider stories and gossip, live performances with live sound effects of specially written scenes created exclusively for the tour. It also shared archive treasures spanning seven decades from the BBC vaults, fascinating demonstrations of the sound-effects artistry that brings the fields, kitchens and barns of Ambridge so vividly to life, audience questions and an interactive pub quiz straight out of The Bull.
There was a poignant tribute to the late Patricia (Paddy) Green, who played Jill Archer for 70 years, and sadly died this summer at the ripe age of 95. As well as being a stalwart of the show, she was apparently quite a playful and naughty member of the cast. Vanessa showed us some of her secrets, including the ancient metal ironing board that mimics a farm gate.
Among the audience were a number of other Archers actors, including Hugh Dennis who played the father Crispin, with his wife, actor Claire Skinner.
I have to confess that while I thoroughly enjoyed the cast we had, I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t the other cast – the Produce Cast – as I’m such a fan of Lilian, Brian and Tracy. Of the four we had, I found Susan the most interesting, as Charlotte Martin has clearly had to alter her natural voice considerably to play this part.
The whole evening is great fun and is the ‘icing on the lemon drizzle cake’ for us Archer aficionados.
If you can catch one of the other shows, and you’re an Archers addict, do go.Tickets and further info on the other shows at fane.co.uk/the-archers
The Seasoned Gastronome