March 25, 2026

The Archers: Live at 75 cast announced

Joining us in Harrogate are four of Ambridge’s most beloved voices – Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge), Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary), Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin) and Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy). Hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, the performance will feature the 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 afternoon 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.

Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge) – Charles 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.

Ryan Kelly (Jazzer McCreary) – Ryan 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.

Sunny Ormonde (Lilian Bellamy) – Sunny 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 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 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.

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