Jennifer Saunders, famous for playing Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, is now starring in a new stage production of Edward Bond’s classic play, The Sea. She’ll be playing the character of Mrs. Rafi in this revival, which is the first in nearly 20 years. The production will be performed at the Theatre Royal in Bath.
The story is set in 1907, during the peak of the Edwardian era. A fierce storm hits a quiet seaside village in East Anglia, and local shopkeeper Mr. Hatch begins to wonder if the chaos might be a sign of an alien invasion.
At the same time, Mrs. Rafi, who considers herself the leader of the village women, is busy directing them in a play – an amateur production of Orpheus and Eurydice. The play is known for its clever and humorous commentary on society.
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Jonathan Munby is directing the new production, which will run from October 22nd to November 7th. It’s being described as a captivating mix of slapstick humor, witty comedy, sharp social commentary, and powerfully sad drama.
Saunders has performed at Bath’s Theatre Royal before, notably in a recent production of Noël Coward’s popular comedy, Blithe Spirit. She’s also been seen there in Sister Act the Musical.
Although we won’t see Julia Saunders as Mrs. Rafi for a few months, she recently worked with her Absolutely Fabulous co-star Joanna Lumley. They both appeared in the Christmas special of the BBC sitcom Amandaland.
The reunion was a lot of fun, and it was just great to spend time together,” Saunders shared. Lumley jokingly added that she told her friend she’d “kill” her if she didn’t accept the role of Aunt Joan.
I was so eager for Jennifer to take the role, I jokingly emailed her, saying she had to accept if she got the script – otherwise, I’d be furious! I just knew she’d make the part amazing.
The Sea runs at Bath’s Theatre Royal from 22 October until 7 November.
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2026-02-16 19:49