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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Saving the nation for a laugh
Secret agent or reincarnated queen? Samantha Holden as Marta . . . or is it Nefatartie . . . has the means to win the argument against Ara Sotoudeh (left) as Dick Barton and Tony O'Hagan as Jock. Dick Barton & The Curse of the Pharaoh's Tomb Hall Green Little Theatre **** TO the strains, high speed strains of the
Devil's Gallop we are transported back to the BBC Light programme and
6.45pm (later 6.15) on a weekday just after the 1940s when ex-Royal
Marine commando Captain Richard Barton, MC, was ready to save Blighty
from the forces of evil. In this case the evil is in the shapely form of
Marta Heartburn, who is also the reincarnated most beautiful woman in
the world, pharaoh's wife and part-time adultress, Nefatartie, all
played with a swagger by Samantha Holden. This is the second of Phil Willmott's three Barton musicals premiered at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, London – there are another six by other writers also from the Warehouse – and it opens where the first ended, above the face of Big Ben with Barton and faithful sidekick Jock about to be shot by Marta – but will the curse of the pharaoh's tomb save them? (Cue Devil's Gallop). Sunlight, jewels, dire warnings, public school dorms, all the ingredients or a ripping yarn. Ara Sotoudeh is a convincing Barton, or as convincing as you can be in something so patently daft and is well supported by Tony O'Hagan, looking very fetching in a kilt, as Jock and with an accent that held steady all night. Jock is an expert in ancient Egyptian burial languages because the woodwork class was full. And speaking of accents Ara also doubles as
King George with a posh lisp to help keep the characters apart. Rather like The 39 Steps this is very British humour. We seem to have produced some of the finest drama in the world and some of the daftest – and, in case you are wondering this is not at the Shakespeare end – but it is great fun. There are corny jokes, smutty jokes, double
entendres – and to save time – single entendres and a plot so silly it
probably qualifies for care in the community. Oh, and did I mention it
was great fun. On the side of the baddies we had Matt Ludlam as
P Mind you Ludlam was also on the side of the goodies, or not so bad in his case, as the cuckold Pharaoh Ahkan Rah who has a penchant for ballet and opera, or at least new words to well known tunes from them. Dick Barton is great fun for the audience and cast alike Swanker did not get off lightly either with
Taylor having to stand in as Vizier and night club MC in a tribute to
multi-tasking. Even Andrew Chaplain, who was that very nice chap
on the wireless introducing it all had to down microphone and double up
as Snowy, swathed in bandages because he was suffering from a skin
complaint. Bandages were in vogue with Sami Moghraby as
Wilco and a Brit abroad as well as a killer mummy. The rest of the
strong cast were made up by Gemma Underwood as barmaid Muriel, Jospehine
Paul as housekeeper Mrs Horrocks, Oscar Davies as Rodger, Ross Shaw as
the other Brit abroad and Matthew Burkett as the other killer mummy.
Full marks too must go to Geddes Cureton who
relived the days of the silent movies sitting at his piano in the
orchestra pit(ette) accompanying songs, adding mood and incidental music
and generally jollying things along with some quality playing. There were plenty of visual gags, from Elgin's
marbles – what a game that must have been – to the iconic arms
outstretched love song on the prow of the doomed Titanic and a lot of
one liners – a couple of which needed fast – or dirty or both - minds to
appreciate in the time allowed. For the problem with daft is it needs to be fast.
Give an audience time to think and analyse what is going on and they
might start to realise that it is . . . well daft, but director
Louise Price avoided that by keeping up a cracking pace with the 20
characters and 13 cast who, despite racing along, never lose a good
sense of timing, an essential for comedy. It is fast, furious and remarkably silly but
above all it is fun. So leave your troubles behind, sit back and enjoy. Roger Clarke Incidentally Edward J Mason, the co-writer with Geoffrey Webb of the original BBC Dick Barton radio serial was born in Birmingham and along with Webb also created the replacement serial for Barton, The Archers. |
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iggy,
who with old public school chums Barton and Swanker, played by Dean
Taylor, had originally excavated the Pharaoh's tomb and let loose the
terrible curse.