Barbara Nice is back on tour for the first time since 2019 (the year she reached the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent) with a string of UK dates starting this Autumn. 

Her tour starts in York on Saturday 14 September, with dates in Chester, Sale, Liverpool, Carlisle, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Burton Upon Trent, Pershore, Bath, Chorley, and finishing up on 5 December in Brighton. 

The tour continues into 2025 with dates between February and May in Lichfield, Bordon, Beverley, Leicester, Totton, and Runcorn, with more dates to be confirmed in coming months. 

This lively evening with everyone’s favourite housewife is guaranteed to lift everyone’s spirits, as Barbara shares her unique comic insights on what’s sucking the joy out of life and what that means for the current state of play. (Just don’t tell her husband, Ken, he thinks she’s cat sitting for her friend Vera.) 

Although Barbara’s occasional stage diving antics are not guaranteed on this tour (“Piggin’ health and safety”) audiences can still expect a night out unlike any other. 

“It’s been a good few years since I got out on the road with a show” says Barbara “and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and bringing some laughter and fun to various towns and cities. The message of the show is WTF! That’s where’s the fun!” 

There’s a good reason that the show is called Fun! With Barbara Nice, the housewife and mother of five’s shows are known for their party atmosphere, with the opportunity for members of the audience to get as involved as they like. It’s all about leaving your cares in the theatre foyer, and enjoying a laugh-out-loud, joyful get-together so we can all feel the benefit, as Barbara helps everyone reconnect with the things that make life worth living. 

 Ordinary housewife extraordinaire, Barbara Nice is an Edinburgh Festival Fringe favourite and regularly headlines at the UK’s leading comedy clubs. She’s also in demand on the wider festival circuit and at Pride events across the country.

In 2019 she reached the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent (“You are a comedy whirlwind. Everything was funny. I felt tonight we watched as a star was born” - David Walliams. “I have a feeling the public are going to love you” - Simon Cowell).

Barbara has previously supported Johnny Vegas and Peter Kay on major UK tours.

Barbara says: “Laughter is the noise we make when we make connections. It’s like a two live wires meeting. Me and Vera and were talking about laughter and why we make the noise - we came up with idea that it’s when two opposing forces or ideas meet head on and the energy of the clash between them makes a thunderclap of laughter. Is this a new idea?”

Barbara Nice is the comedy creation of Janice Connolly BEM.

Janice’s TV credits include playing the God-fearing barmaid Holy Mary in Phoenix Nights; various roles in Coronation Street; and Governor Burn in Guz Khan’s Man Like Mobeen. 

Her popular radio sitcom Barbara Nice was a BBC Radio 2 comedy commission, and she can be heard as Cathy in Kiri Pritchard McLean’s BBC Wales radio sitcom, Learners, which is now in its third series. 

Janice has recently been seen as receptionist Rosie Colton in BBC’s Doctors and is part of the ensemble cast for BBC Radio 4’s Icklewick FM. 

Her live theatre work includes Tartuffe, and Anita and Me at Birmingham Rep; A Taste of Honey at the New Vic Stoke; and Panto with Lily Savage in Manchester and Bristol. 

Janice was a founding member of Women and Theatre in Birmingham and has been their Artistic Director for over 20 years, creating new work alongside community about stuff that matters. 

In 2017, Janice was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year Honours in recognition of her contribution to community arts in the West Midlands. 

Other awards include a best actress award for her portrayal of the eponymous heroine in Joe Lycett’s multi-award-winning short film Linda, and The Northwest Comedy Awards Legend Award 2024. 

Full list of Autumn 2024 tour dates:

14 September           Theatre @ 41 Monkgate                 York

26 September           Chester Storyhouse                         Chester

11 October                Waterside Arts Centre                     Sale

12 October                Hot Water Comedy Club                 Liverpool

24 October                Old Fire Station                                Carlisle

31 October                Saltburn Arts                                     Saltburn-by-the-Sea

2 November              Brewhouse                                        Burton upon Trent

15 November            Number 8 Theatre                           Pershore

21 November            Rondo                                                Bath

28 November            Chorley Theatre                               Chorley Theatre 

5 December              Komedia                                            Brighton 

Confirmed 2025 dates (more to be added):

7 February                 Lichfield Garrick Theatre                Lichfield

14 February              The Phoenix Theatre                     Bordon

21 February              East Riding Theatre                       Beverley

21 March                  The Y Theatre                                Leicester

4 April                       Hanger Farm Arts Centre               Totton

9 May                       The Brindley                                      Runcorn

Tickets: https://www.mrsbarbaranice.com/tickets