First look at Vinnie Jones as crime boss in Only Fools And Horses The Musical

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

A first look at Vinnie Jones as a crime boss in Only Fools And Horses The Musical shows the actor dressed as an old-fashioned hardman in a waistcoat and tie along with a long coat.

The 59-year-old former footballer is known for his tough guy crime roles in Guy Ritchie films Snatch and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, and will make his stage debut in the latest run of the musical.

He will play one half of the notorious Driscoll brothers, Danny Driscoll, in the production, which was adapted from the TV series by actor and writer Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, son of original series writer John Sullivan.

Jones said: “I’ve always been a fan of Only Fools And Horses, and when my longtime friend, (the promoter) Phil McIntyre called me up and said he was interested in me playing the role of Danny Driscoll, I told him to count me in.

“The director C Jay Ranger and her creative team are great and I’m excited to contribute to the legacy of the show.”

The cast also features Whitehouse as Grandad “Ted” Trotter, Sam Lupton as Derek “Del Boy” Trotter, Tom Major as Rodney Trotter, The Story Of Tracy Beaker actress Georgina Hagen as Rachel “Raquel” Turner, Craig Berry as Terrance “Boycie” Boyce, and Nicola Munns as Marlene / Cassandra, Lee VG as Colin “Trigger” Ball, and Darryl Paul as Tony Driscoll / Mike Fisher, the Barman.

It is led by the original West End director Caroline Jay Ranger, and sees Del Boy trying to find his soulmate, his brother Rodney tying the knot with Cassandra, and Boycie and Marlene giving parenthood one final shot.

Following the London dates, from December 17 to January 5, Jones will depart the cast as it heads back on tour.

It features elements from the whole series, as well as having an original score including contributions from the pop rock duo Chas & Dave, and is described as a “feel-good family celebration of traditional working-class London life in 1989 and the aspirations we all share”.

The tour kicks off in Bromley in September and then travels to more than 30 towns and cities up and down the country, before resuming at Ipswich’s Regent Theatre in January and culminating in Dublin at the end of June 2025.

Former Wales midfielder Jones is also known for playing Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand, as well as being in Netflix series The Gentlemen and sports film Mean Machine.

The original series, written by John Sullivan, featured the colourful escapades of market trader Del Boy, played by Sir David Jason, and his less streetwise younger brother Rodney Trotter, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst, as they went through the highs and lows of life trying to become rich.