The premiere of ITV’s Nolly is taking place in Birmingham - here’s the date, location, celebrities & more

The premiere of Nolly, the new ITV series about the extraordinary life story of actress Noele Gordon, will take place in Birmingham on Wednesday (25 January).

Noele Gordon played the role of motel owner Meg Mortimer in the long-running Birmingham-based soap opera Crossroads from 1964 to 1981.

The new series will star multi-award winning Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon. The three-part series entitled Nolly, which was Noele’s nickname, was created by the new Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

Crossroads revolved around a fictional motel on the outskirts of Birmingham. It was packed full of drama, with the opening plot involving a family feud with Meg and her sister Kitty, and attracting up to 15 million viewers for ATV in its hey day. After ending in 1981, Carlton Television attempted to revive it in 2001, but it finally ended in 2003.

The premiere will take place on Wednesday at the Midlands Arts Centre when the first episode will be premiered followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Russell T Davies, Peter Hoar, cast members Augustus Prew (The Morning Show, The Lord of the Rings) who plays Tony Adams and Birmingham born actress Bethany Antonia (House of Dragons, Stay Close) who plays Poppy Ngomo, and Birmingham author Dorothy Hobson (Crossroads:The Drama of a Soap Opera). Hosted by Nikki Bedi BBC Radio Arts Presenter.

What’s been said about the premiere?

David Baldwin, MAC Cinema and Screen Producer, said: “Since we launched the Square Eyes TV Festival in 2021, we’re constantly looking to offer unique TV screenings here at MAC and this preview of ITV drama Nolly is a perfect example – top creative talent celebrating a true legend of Midlands television.”

Dorothy Hobson, Vice-Chair of RTS Midlands, said: “We are delighted to bring this event to MAC and to work with the team from Quay Productions who have brought the story of Noele Gordon and the Birmingham based soap opera to a new generation of viewers. 15 million viewers watched the soap opera over 18 years. As a great fan of Noele Gordon, Russell T Davies has created a fitting tribute to the actress and star, the programme and the audiences who loved it.”

What’s Bonham Carter said about the role?

Helena said playing Noele was a dream role for her, according to Mirror UK. The 56-year-old The Crown actress said: “When I read the script, it was like a gift. A dream. It’s like meeting someone and falling in love. I watched Crossroads. So I knew Noele Gordon as a figure, but I hadn’t really taken on board the sacking.”