Allo Allo

It’s always a lovely visit to Dryburn Theatrical Workshop.  They’re such a wonderfully talented tight knit bunch of friends, so supportive of one another and that always shows on stage.  Their latest drama “Allo Allo” maintained director Michelle Coulson’s high standard of performance and drama brought to amateur stages in our region.

Dryburn chose to perform “The Camembert Caper” a hilarious farce with the recognisable characters we all know and love from the TV sitcom series made famous from 1982 and running for an impressive 10 years.  “Allo Allo” focuses on the life of French café owner Rene during the German occupation of France in World War II.  Rene was expertly played by Lee Passmoor with timing and comedy delivered with perfection, with a brilliant moustache to boot!  Really well done Lee, not a word misplaced in an incredibly difficult and intricate role.  Rene has to deal with the difficulties from dishonest German officers, the local French resistance whilst negotiating a wife, two waitresses, a mother-in-law, two trapped British Airmen and many other characters leaving a comic caper which had the audiences chuckling throughout.

“The Camembert Caper” is the story of Rene and his wife Edith, played by Annette Morris, hosting two British Airman brilliantly played by Max Weatherhead and Abbey Stephenson, their comedy idiocy was utterly hilarious.  Rene and Edith, together with their waitresses Yvette and Mimi, played by Emma Coulson and Jessica Kerridge respectively are embroiled trying to extricate the airmen whilst dealing with the demands of General Von Klinkerhoffen of a small fortune in recompense for the loss of the painting “The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies”.  The General played by Grayson Wood was another fabulous portrayal whose cash demands leaves Rene with no choice but to approach Monsieur Alphonse, played by our own Gordon Richardson for a loan who is sweet on Edith, Rene’s wife who’s mother is loudly objecting to her bed being used as a cover for the radio used to communicate with London.  Those objections were heard loud and clear from Kay Anderson playing Madam Fanny la Fan.  The characters of Michelle  Dubois and Officer Crabtree were played by Jillaine Reay Hindon and Chris Coates respectively with the signature [phrases and nonsense coming through strongly] with their hair brained schemes to extract the airmen keeping the audiences in fits of laughter.  The German contingent costuming was excellent and seemed to me to be entirely authentic with Herr Flick (Phil Martin), Colonel Von Strohm (Gary Blackbird), Captain Geering (Andy Smith), Lieutenant Gruber (Gary Eglinton) and General Von Klinkerhoffen cracking the audience up regularly.  I especially did enjoy Gary’s portrayal of Lieutenant Gruber which was hilarious, utterly camp and authentic throughout.  The local but well meaning idiot, Monsieur LeClerc was played by Colin Coulson brilliantly, with the audiences well and truly enjoying his comic capers.  Supporting Herr Flick was the beautiful Kirsty May as Private Helga who looked gorgeous in the swastika lingerie, what a hoot!  Also supporting in various roles were Karen Scott, Pauline Wright, Erin Boyle and Anne Holt.

A great production from start to finish, thank you Dryburn for another top class production in our region.

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