Kay Mellor's Band of Gold returns in Leeds Grand Theatre Stage adaption

The show was originally a ground-breaking drama that drew in more than 15 million viewers each week when it was first broadcast on ITV in March 1985, telling the story of a group of women - Carol, Rose, Anita and Gina - as they battled to survive working in a notorious red light district while a killer was on the loose.

-> Kay Mellor on her stage adaptation of Band of Gold as it heads to the Leeds stage

Starring in the stage version is Laurie Brett (best known for her role in EastEnders), Gaynor Faye (Emmerdale), Kieron Richardson (Hollyoaks), former X Factor winner Shayne Ward, Sacha Parkinson (Mr Selfridge), Andrew Dunn (Dinnerladies) and newcomer Emma Osman.

Gaynor Faye, daughter of Kay Mellor who stars in the production. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Kay Mellor OBE is a Leeds-born writer, director and actress best known for her work on several successful drama series, including Fat Friends, Band of Gold itself, The Syndicate and In The Club.

She is also well known for her stage version of A Passionate Woman, which played in the West End and is still touring both nationally and internationally, and Fat Friends The Musical which premiered at Leeds Grand Theatre in November 2017.

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Kay more recently wrote and created Love, Lies & Records (BBC One, 2017), and wrote and directed Girlfriends (ITV, 2018).

She was also the exec-producer for Overshadowed (BBC Three).

Band of Gold is at Leeds Grand Theatre from today to Saturday December 14.

-> How Girlfriends screenwriter Kay Mellor made a drama out of being ordinary