Allo 'Allo

by Jeremy Lloyd & David Croft

December 11-14 2002

directed by

 Tony Brownings 

"Listen very carefully, I vill say zis only once!"  Look out for members of the French resistance, German officers and escaping British airmen, down at the Barn.  They're all characters from that popular tv programme 'Allo 'Allo and this production of the stage version promises to be equally hilarious.

Barrie Jerram 
written but never published

The decision by the Wick Theatre Company to put on a stage version of a TV sit-com was a courageous one in view of the fact that the show is so well known and loved - the entire run being a sell out proves this.

The plot concerning a stolen painting hidden in a sausage, I felt, was a little too familiar and the evening would have been enhanced if the writers, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, had come up with a new story line.  However, the presence of giant garlic sausages, not to mention an inflatable Hitler and a bicycle pump, did provide two hilarious and outrageous scenes that had the audience howling with laughter.

There were too many other good performances for me to comment on individually.  However it might be helpful to comment about the performance of Kevin Isaac as Crabtree, the English Agent pretending to be a French Policeman whose attempts to speak French result in mispronunciations that are comic.  It was felt that the full comic potential of these lines was not always realised due to the mispronounced words occasionally not being pointed sufficiently.  Guidance needs to be given on this aspect of technique. 

The technical side of sound and lighting together with the set was of the usual high standard that one associates with the Wick and the numerous scene changes were slickly achieved.

An example of this was the scene in the cinema that only existed to serve the punch-line of the mouse-traps on the suspender belt trapping the fingers of the groping Italian.  The writing in the lead-up was very weak and would have played better by incorporating it an earlier scene in the office, thus eliminating a scene change.  Similar weak writing did a disservice to the acting efforts of the cast in scenes that just fizzled out.

Jamie Hailstone 

Now listen very carefully, I shall say zees only once - Wick Theatre Company’s production of ’Allo ’Allo was très magnifique.  Wick’s four night run at the Barn Theatre was sold out last week and expectations were high as the audience sat down to enjoy Wednesday night’s performance. We were not disappointed, as Director Tony Brownings and his talented cast recreated the classic BBC sitcom by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft before our eyes.

… The whole cast gave first-rate performances, and the audience laughed throughout, before disappearing like phantoms into the night at the end.

Member's feedback

Instead of a full-length in-house review, we invited members to send in short comments.  Jo Hales is the only member who rose to the challenge, and kindly provided the following.

“All in all, fantastic - what a wonderful opportunity to see how a farce should be presented.  It was clear from the audience’s reaction how much they were enjoying the performance.  I later learnt from a number of cast members that ’Allo ’Allo was the most fun that they had ever had rehearsing, which showed in abundance. 

“I believe that many have missed a superb night of entertainment, thinking that ’Allo ’Allo was ‘unworthy’.  They missed some established performers offer a joyful and well-executed show, well worthy of the company name.

“I believe that a thriving and vibrant theatre group needs to offer as diverse a menu of delicacies to its patrons as possible.  And to me ’Allo ’Allo was a breath of fresh air, blowing the cobwebs from some stuffier and more highbrow offerings.”

Words and Music 

Gordon Bull

You certainly can’t fault this excellent cast who were nearly all dead ringers for the originals - David Goodger (René) and Kati Szeless (Yvette) in particular.  Maintaining the pseudo-franglais accent was no problem and added to the fun, as did the fantastic ‘good moaning’ gendarme!

This particular edition was certainly the bawdiest ever.  Sausages and sucking, knocking shop and stocking top, zips and suspenders, knockers and knickers, bums and boobs, flesh and flash, groping and prodding, winking and wanking, duck and dick - it was all there to contribute to the knockabout humour, creasing up the sophisticated adults as well as innocent youngsters. The sheer vapid suggestiveness of Gruber (Peter Thompson) and seductive sexuality of Helga (Judith Berrill) wowed us or worried us.  Flick (David Bickers) perhaps could have camped up the Gestapo element a bit more, whereas Edith’s (Margaret Ockenden) superb tuneless vocal renditions brought the house down with the aid of piano basher Bob Ryder.

Surrounded by an authentically costumed team and a fine set to work to, René, the café proprietor played his part to perfection.  This was true adult panto.  (Sadly it is creeping insidiously and ever more suggestively into traditional kids pantomime.)  Only lack of space prevents me from introducing every member of this talented cast who, under director Tony Brownings, thoroughly deserved the four-night sell-out.

Dancing at Lughnasa  

by Brian Friel

September 11-14 2002

directed by

Jan King

Poignant, tender and humorous, this beautiful play by Brian Friel is the spellbinding story of five impoverished spinster sisters, living in a remote corner of Ireland in the thirties.  Also in the house are Michael, the seven-year-old son of the youngest sister and elder brother Jack, a priest.  he has just returned from 25 years spent as a missionary in Africa, sent home due to ill-health.  Or is there another, darker reason?  Michael's father, a n'er-do-well charmer, visits from time to time, full of promises he'll never keep.  A grown-up Michael acts as narrator, telling us more about the events of that Summer of 1936, and what happened as a result.

Cast

Barrie Jerram 

To open their new season the Wick Theatre Company chose Brian Friel’s study of five impoverished spinster sisters living in a remote part of Donegal during the summer of 1936.  With their parents dead they struggle to eke out a living and each faces a future without hope of marrying.  As a result of this there exists a close bond between them and the desire to survive.

The hardship and deprivation of their daily routine is lightened by the arrival of a radio into the house that prompts the return of dancing into their lives.  Although the play has been likened to Chekhov’s Three Sisters it differs insomuch as Friel’s heroines are more deserving of our sympathy.  They have little choice as to their futures   

This memory play is seen through the eyes of Michael, the illegitimate son of the youngest sister.  The grown up Michael acts as both the narrator and also the voice of the boy during the action of the play that depicts the events that lead up to the disintegration of the family.  Jan King’s production was of the usual high standard that the audience has come to expect from this company.  An example of the attention paid to detail was the use of a voice coach to achieve credible Irish accents.  The cast skilfully managed to bring out all the differing aspects of the play - its tender warmth and gentle humour along with its pathos and poignancy.

Zoë Edden beautifully captured the impishness of Maggie, the joker of the family whilst Heather Richards gave us a moving portrayal of Chris, the sister who had been seduced by Gerry, the father of Michael.  I was also impressed by Diane Robinson’s performance of Agnes.  Through the use of subtle looks and gestures she put across the anguish arising from the secret feelings she had for Gerry.

Of the remaining members of the family the performances of Jane Richards and Ray Hopper are worthy of special mention as each had to portray characters with mental difficulties - Rose, the youngest sister born retarded and physically malformed and Uncle Jack, senility.  Each made their character credible human beings attracting sympathy and not ridicule, as could have been the case in lesser hands. 

Each of the above performers managed to bring their characters to life naturally and without the appearance of theatrical artifice.  Sadly, this was not the case with Phil Balding, as Gerry.  Whether this was due in part to the role - that of a feckless and irresponsible charmer - or to his playing I am not certain.  I felt that there were times when stillness from him was required and not the swaying and jigging around that irritated rather than charmed.

Jamie Hailstone 

Wick’s heartfelt portrayal of pre-war sisterhood from the Emerald Isle, Dancing at Lughnasa, proved a real sparkler, thanks to some class acting and convincing accents.  The tale of the lives and loves of five spinster sisters by Brian Friel was full of energy and tenderness in equal measure, and the impressive set evoked the feel of the era.  Told as seen through the eyes of Christine’s (Heather Richards) seven-year-old son Michael (voice of Derek Fraser), the story took the audience back to the summer of 1936 around the Feast of Lughnasa at the family home near Ballybeg, County Donegal.

Derek Fraser also played the role of grown-up Michael looking back and narrating during breaks in the action; a dual role which worked well and held the play together.  We observed the sisters’ lives at home and in the community until, eventually, we were told what became of them through a wistful Michael at the end.  Heather Richards played the motherly part well, in addition to that of the love-struck 30‑something when Michael’s caddish father Gerry (energetically and enthusiastically played by Phil Balding) appears out of the blue and promptly disappears into it again.  The pair struck up a good rapport, and Gerry soon had the audience tittering with his far-fetched tales of one-horned cows/unicorns, etc.

Jack (Ray Hopper) was utterly believable in the role a bumbling man-about-the-house, and the sisters’ plain sympathy for him was reflected by the audience.  Rose was exuberantly played by Jane Richards, and evoked sympathy for her doomed liaison with a married man and quest for love.  Excitable Agnes, who we subsequently learn was to meet a sorry end, was well-played by Diane Robinson, as was Maggie (Zoe Edden), who provided a few giggles through her passion for ‘wonderful Woodbines’.

The In-House Review

Simon Birks

I had the pleasure of seeing the Wick’s production of Dancing at Lughnasa on the Thursday night.  Initially, I had gone to watch with some trepidation.  I had been given the script to read beforehand, and although deftly worded, there was something about the story that I hadn’t been able to grasp.  Fortunately, my fears were unfounded.  I sat throughout the performance understanding exactly what its playwright, Brian Friel, was depicting.  This was helped by an excellent cast, who were able to breathe life into the characters.

The eldest sister Kate, a schoolteacher (Katie Brownings) becomes distraught at Father Jack’s conversion to the Ugandan spiritualist religion, and takes it on herself to try and ‘cure’ him of it.  Katie ably projected the frustration, love, and Catholicism that runs through her words.  Maggie (Zoë Edden) is the least religious of all the sisters.  Smoking her Wild Woodbines and unable to resist the temptation of the music, she was played freely and with great affection.  An affection that transmitted itself to the audience, who were never too far away from a smile for one of Maggie’s riddles or sharp sayings.

Agnes (Diane Robinson) was well captured as the quiet, hardworking middle sister, but with a hint of something more underneath, a character who I felt supported the story rather than being a star.  This was backed up by Diane’s performance.  Rose (Jane Richards) the fourth sister, was my favourite character.  Jane managed to play Rose so convincingly, that not once did I find myself doubting her simple outlook, and her continued stubbornness to be independent.

Lastly, Christina (Heather Richards) the youngest sister, and the mother of Michael, was played with the blind devotion that the part requires.  Christina shows her emotions too easily, especially when Michael’s father, Gerry Evans, shows up.  Gerry, played by Phil Balding, is a dreamer, a cavalier, working his silver words on the willingly gullible Christina.  While the scene in which Gerry attempts to fix the aerial of the radio had me laughing, I wondered whether Phil’s lack of eye contact with Heather was played on purpose or not; and it made the relationship look less easy than I thought it should.

The set was good, portraying both the sisters’ kitchen, and the garden.  I thought perhaps the space that was left to act in might be restricting, but I was proved wrong (again!).  I did find myself, however, concentrating on the invisible wall between the kitchen and the garden, and would have found it easier if there had been a low wall separating the two areas.  The Irish brogues were excellent, and I only lost the odd word or two, which is normal in any production, accents or not!  The choreography was very natural, and all the players looked at home whenever they kicked up their heels (though the swaying of the cast during Michael’s final speech went over my head a bit!).

Kindertransport 

by Diane Samuels

June 12 - 15  2002

directed by

 Bob Ryder 

I interviewed a number of the Kinder as part of my research.  They were all very open about their lives and feelings.  Many of their actual experiences are woven into the fabric of the play.  Although Eva / Evelyn and her life are fictional, most of what happens to her did happen to someone somewhere."

Cast

Jamie Hailstone 

To take a subject matter as emotive as the horrors of Nazi Germany, the Holocaust and the emotional repercussions therein would be a difficult job for any theatre company, professional or otherwise.  It is a testament to the Southwick-based company, and in particular director Bob Ryder, that they delivered such an outstanding performance with just six cast members.

Diane Samuels' play follows the story of nine-year old Eva, who escapes from Nazi Germany to a new life in England in 1939.  Eva is adopted by a foster parent in Manchester and builds anew life.  But 40 years later, when Eva's (now Evelyn) daughter, goes searching through her mother's attic, she begins to discover a side of her mother she has never seen before.

Making excellent use of the Barn Theatre, Southwick, and lighting, the cast alternated between World War Two and modern day England.  All the cast had to play demanding roles.  In particular, credit must go to Candice Gregory, who played the young Eva and made the fictional character seem very real indeed.  Alexis Hills played Helga, Eva's real mother, who had to make the agonising decision to send her daughter away to avoid the horrors of persecution.

Elizabeth Wood, who played foster mother Lil, had a particularly demanding role, as her character went straight from the wartime scenes to modern day without skipping a beat.  the performance was such, though, that the audience genuinely empathised with Lil and the problems she faced in both eras.

The modern day mother and daughter scenes were brilliantly played by Patricia Lyne, as Evelyn, and Lyn Fernee as her daughter, Faith.  Tony Brownings played Ratcatcher and other male characters, including Nazi soldier and an English policeman that Eva faced back in World War Two.

The use of music, lighting and the space in the Barn Theatre itself all brought the scenes to life as well.

This was not an easy production to put on; it had to be handled with sensitivity and courage.  The fact that Wick Theatre Company pulled it off shows how much of a force they are to be reckoned with.  It was a story that needed to be told and they did it brilliantly.

Barrie Jerram [abbreviated]

For its contribution to the Adur Festival the Wick Theatre Company have chosen a strong but moving play, which depicts the coming to England for safe haven before the outbreak of War of a young Jewish girl, Eva, and the subsequent traumatic effect it had on her adult life, in particular with her own daughter.  This fine play by Diane Samuels is cleverly constructed in that it allows both generations to be on stage at the same time.

Bob Ryder and his technical team are to be congratulated in ensuring that the transition, from one time zone to another, was achieved seamlessly and without confusion.  The simple set consisting of a trunk, several suitcases and some cardboard boxes were sufficient to fulfil the two locations - trains and an attic.  The right atmosphere was a crucial part of the play and this was achieved right from the moment the audience was admitted into the hall and carried on throughout the play by the skilful use of lighting and sound.

Each actor gave a performance of the highest calibre, with Candice Gregory, as the young Eva, being outstanding.  She was totally convincing as a child who we first see at ten years old.  In fact I was convinced that she was much younger than I later learned her real age to be.  It was only much later that I realised I has seen her in the last production - a total transformation!  Along with the rest of the audience I was moved by her portrayal of the child's emotions at having to leave her German home, to start  a fresh life in a strange land and to assimilate a new culture.  It gave an insight perhaps to similar emotions experienced by more recent refugees and added a topical edge to the play.

Helga, Eva's mother, is apart in two halves and Alexis Hills managed the transition beautifully.  We were given a portrayal of of a sophisticated woman at the start hiding her grief at having to send her child away whilst at the same time refusing to help her daughter with domestic tasks thereby preparing her for what lay ahead when she would have to fend for herself.  A lesson well learned that then rebounded on her when they meet up after the War.  her transformation into the survivor, shorn of sophistication and totally bewildered by her daughter's rejection, was remarkable.

The part of Evelyn, the older Eva, is a difficult one in that the actor has to find the right balance between the cold, efficient shell that she had build up round herself to shut out the past and the catharsis brought about by being made to  face up to the past.  Patricia Lynne fully achieved this balance.

It was pleasing to see Lyn Fernee again - last seen in The Trojan Woman in Brighton - and to watch another first-class performance as Faith, Evelyn's daughter.  Her anger and bewilderment at discovering the past and her history that had been kept from her was pitched at just the right level.

Elizabeth Wood as Lil, the surrogate mother of Eva/Evelyn gave a sound performance, mixing the Northern bluffness of the character with the warmth she felt for her 'daughter'.  Ton Brownings played several roles and, whilst each one was a figure of authority that induced terror in Eva, he managed to make each character different.

On a negative note I was at a loss to understand the symbolism of the closing tableau.

All in all a splendid production that would not have been out of place on a West End stage.

Words and Music 

Gordon Bull

The Wick Theatre company gave strong individual performances, through the walk-on parts of Tony Brownings to the realistic quick-fire bilingual and tragic 'nine-year-old' Eva (Lyn Fernee) knowingly clued-up as the effervescent adolescent.  Distraught, loving foster-mum Lil (Elizabeth Wood) held the scales nicely, reminding one well of the important role played in the War by the many kind but necessary carers who unselfishly shared their own children's rightful attention and home to safeguard others.

The Importance of
Being Earnest 

by  Oscar Wilde

April 10 -13 2002

directed by 

Margaret Ockenden  

Director's Note " The impact of The Importance of Being Earnest on the first night audience of 1895 can only be imagined.  To be invited to laugh at the pretences and foibles of the aristocracy would have been shocking, but, oh such fun.
I wonder about Wilde's impact on theatre and television had he been born 100 years later.  What a chat show guest!  What plays he would have written!  he may even have been offered a knighthood.  Would he have accepted? I think so.

The Importance of Being Earnest is well known for having been written one summer in Worthing, which is the name given to our hero and there allusions in the names of Lady Lancing and Lord Shoreham.  Oscar was clearly inspired by his sunny surroundings for his play is light hearted and full of fun.  Much of the plot is about the 'grand art of lying'.  His characters practice this with panache, coming across entirely sincere.

And there's a story behind the comic opera aspect of Act 111, Gilbert and Sullivan wrote the comic opera Patience, parodying the aesthetic movement and a notable member, Oscar Wilde.  Wilde replied by using elements of Gilbert and Sullivan in this act, when at times the characters speak and move in unison and the feel-good factor of the operetta is reflected in the Cinderella ending of the play."

Misery 

by Stephen King

February 13 - 16 2002

adapted by Simon Moore

directed by

Peter Thompson

A note from the Director " Well, Stephen King makes his debut at the Barn!  this play is a wonderful example of the way that wick Theatre Company champions diversity in its productions.  this gripping tale has all the ingredients of what you might expect from this author - suspense, atmosphere, shock, fast changing mood swings and so on.  it is aplay that fires the imagination in all respects and it will certainly keep you wondering just what happens next.  I hope you will feel this production does full justice to a story by one of the masters of the horror genre .. and I hope you enjoy it! "