'Allo, 'Allo

Thank you for your kind invitation to report on your recent production of “’Allo, ‘Allo”, a script devised from several episodes of the well-known and popular TV series.  This must have been quite a challenge to stage as the TV show has proved so popular and the main characters are so well known. However, on this occasion the cast was very well chosen, looked very similar to the original characters and played their parts with style and understanding.  Seeing the show on the opening night, the set was very well presented, with the atmosphere of Rene’s café very well recreated and the German office and the café cellar suitably separated from the café.  The portraits on the café wall that opened to reveal the English airmen were most effective.  However, some of the scene changes run progressed, these changes would become more slick.

The lighting and sound were very well cued and well timed in changing the emphasis on each area of the stage, and the continuity was well done.  In Act 2, the use of short blackouts was very effective in emphasising the closing lines of some scenes, allowing the audience time to enjoy the jokes and amusing statements to the full. The costumes and make up, wigs and props were very good, with the characters looking authentic and with good French and German accents most of the time.  However, while the play was very amusing and well acted, at times the dialogue was a little stilted.  A little more energy in presenting the script, together with more natural variation in character, speed of dialogue and pauses would help with the continuity, pace and lively presentation of the show.

The characters 

Rene:  as the narrator he was the backbone of the play.  This laid-back and philosophical portrayal brought a dry humour to his matter-of-fact comments to the audience in his interaction with the other characters.  His facial expressions when caught in apparently compromising situations were amusing and the visual jokes, including the sausage in his trousers and the action with the cockatoo radio transmitter, were truly comedic.  A very strong and characterful performance.

Edith:  as Rene’s long-suffering wife, wistfully recalling better times, she had the audience convulsed with laughter at her off-key singing. Her cabaret act with the waitresses was one of the high spots of the play.  A delightful portrayal.

Herr Flick:  this performance of a Gestapo officer with a bullying manner, goose-stepping even while dancing, doing press-ups to impress Helga and selling ice-cream while dressed in glittery underwear, was a force to be reckoned with.  A very skilful and enjoyable interpretation, hilariously portrayed.

Captain Bertorelli:  an amusing portrayal of a stereotypical Italian officer, complete with many medals, (which might go rusty if wet), and an amazing hat.  His wide gestures, excitable body language, flirtatious  and self-satisfied facial expressions were very good throughout the play.

Helga:  as Herr Flick’s lady-friend Helga walked a fine line, alternately flattering him then gently controlling his more outrageous ideas.  Her sexy strip-tease was a huge surprise and great fun.

Crabtree:  an amusing depiction of an Englishman speaking translated French badly, characterised  by a comic mis-pronunciation of words.  His on-stage partnership as Michelle’s accomplice was particularly entertaining, as was his interaction with the sausage!

Michelle:  determinedly bringing her Resistance schemes of sabotage and mayhem to Rene for his support, she struck a note of comic rebelliousness throughout the play.  A good characterisation. 

Yvette and Mimi:  interacted well together as Rene’s waitresses and the mainstay of his cafe.  They were also good while contributing to Edith’s hilarious cabaret act.  As Rene’s lady-loves, Yvette had a bold, full-on physical approach in character with her rather brash personality, while Mimi was softer and cosier, preferring a gentle cuddle.  Both were excellent portrayals of the characters. 

The German officers were well portrayed, with good contrasts between the characters.

Altogether, this was a very amusing performance of a well-written script that just required a little more energy, pace and varied delivery to enhance the presentation.  However, for the first performance of the run, this was a wonderful evening of entertainment!  Congratulations to everyone involved!

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