Fawlty Towers: where are the original cast now as John Cleese brings Fawlty Towers to the West End

Fawlty Towers will be coming to London's West End in a stage adaptation of the iconic British sitcom.

John Cleese, who co-wrote and starred in the original as Basil Fawlty, has written a two-hour play based on two episodes from the first series, including The Hotel Inspector and The Germans, and the second series episode Communication Problems.

The play will debut at London's Apollo Theatre this May, nearly 50 years after the first episode of the original series aired on BBC One in 1974. It will be directed by Caroline Jay Ranger (Only Fools and Horses Musical), and star Adam Jackson-Smith as Basil and Anna-Jane Casey as Sybil. The original TV programme was written by Cleese and Connie Booth and aired on BBC Two for two series in 1975 and 1979. Speaking following the announcement Cleese said it was "a thrill to be bringing Fawlty Towers to the West End for the first time."

But, what happened to the actors in the original series and where are they now? Here's everything you need to know.

John Cleese as Basil Fawlty

Cleese, not only co-wrote, but starred in the iconic sitcom as the lead character, Basil Fawlty. Best described as a chaotic hot mess, Fawlty single-handedly gets himself into all manner of mishaps, from insulting guests to trying to impress the hotel inspector.

Cleese starred alongside his wife, Connie Booth, although the couple divorced between season one and two. Post Monty Python, His role cemented his position as a comedy legend, and he would go on to appear in Monty Python movies including The Meaning of Life and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. More recently he starred in the Harry Potter franchise as Nearly Headless Nick and Q in James Bond.

The 84-year-old is bringing Fawlty Towers to the West End. Speaking about the upcoming performance he said: "I’ve adapted three of my favourite episodes for the stage and written one huge finale, which will bring together the endings of all three episodes". Adding Fawlty Towers would be coming: "All the way from Torquay, via the old BBC Television Centre, to the West End."

Connie Booth as Polly Sherman

Connie Booth was a co-writer on Fawlty Towers and also starred as hotel maid and waitress Polly Sherman. She often found herself having to clean up Basil's mess, finding herself as the voice of the reason.

Booth and Cleese who wrote the series together were married, and although they divorced between the first and second season they continued working together.

Before Fawlty Towers she starred in Monty Python films, and following her appearance on the sitcom had roles on Jackanory, The Tomorrow People and The Buccaneers. She retired from acting in 1995 and became a psychotherapist, and now lives in London with her husband, the drama critic John Lahr.

Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty

Prunella Scales played Basil’s long-suffering wife Sybil, who begrudgingly put up with his antics, whilst judging him mercilessly. Scales went on to star in Jackanory, After Henry and Howards End alongside Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. In 2014, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She lives with her husband, actor Timothy West, to whom she has been married for 60 years.

Andrew Sachs as Manuel

Andrew Sachs played Manuel, the Spanish waiter who was on the receiving end of Basil Fawlty's rage. In fact, during one episode the actor was nearly knocked out after Cleese hit him with a real frying pan and not a prop one.

Following his Fawlty Towers success, Sachs went on to work in Children's TV with roles in William’s Wish Wellingtons and Going Postal. He also starred in Coronation Street in 2009. In 2012, Sachs was diagnosed with vascular dementia; he passed away in 2016 aged 86.

How can I get tickets for the Fawlty Towers West End play?

Tickets for the Fawlty Towers West End performance will go on sale on Wednesday, February 7 at 10am.

Sarah McCann is NationalWorld’s Entertainment and Trends Writer, who specialises in TV, Film and Celeb news. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here.