New roles for Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones - who co-wrote and co-starred in the popular BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey - has been revealed as the star of two projects coming to BBC Four later in the year.
The actress, who also appeared as lesbian barmaid Myfanwy in sketch show Little Britain, and as Joan in a 2008 BBC adaptation of the Hardy novel Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, will begin filming in Glasgow later this month for the title role in Hattie. Playing comedy great and Carry On legend Hattie Jacques, the "bittersweet true-life drama" will depict the actress's "hot-blooded" romance with a younger man in the early 1960s. The affair took place whilst she was married to Dad's Army star John Le Mesurier.
Of the role, Jones says "Hattie Jacques is a comedy heroine of mine and I'm thrilled to have been asked to play her. She was an incredibly talented and fascinating woman both on and off screen and so much more than just the 'funny fat lady'. I can't wait!"
Jones will also star in a three-part comedy series entitled The Great Outdoors alongside Green Wing's Mark Heap. The series is about a group of ramblers, of whom Bob (Heap) is the "tragic-comic" leader, and Christine (Jones) is the newcomer keen to replace him. Other characters include Bob's friend Tom, daughter Hazel, her boyfriend Victor, and his admirer...
Set to form part of the channel's 'Outdoors Season', The Great Outdoors is being produced by the BBC and Ruth Jones' own company, Tidy Productions.