Allo Allo 2: The Camembert Caper

Some of us are fortunate enough to remember when Allo Allo first appeared on our TV screens and quickly became a mainstay of British culture: one of the best sitcoms of all time, surpassing in popular culture the original iconic TV series Secret Army, on which the parody is built. So it needs a director who remembers the original, the way the characters looked, moved and acted, and the way each of them said their various catchphrases. Director David Buck has created a vision here with so much love for the original that it cascades through every choice made on the stage, creating a warm and welcoming production with every actor looking like they are having the most fun they have ever had. 

Firstly, we are in René’s cafe: and we are really there. The set is so realistic, with the counter with shelves behind with bottles, stairs leading to upstairs and further, we imagine, to the attic room where Edith’s mother lives. It’s interesting too, not just plain, with working lights on the walls, cafe tables, and an entrance and door with glass in with the lettering on the outside for the cafe. All through the venue, everyone is either dressed as a French peasant, or with Theatre Company T-shirts on, and the cafe for the interval had lovely tablecloths and French flags on. Such a lovely attention to detail making us immersed in the whole production, and part of it. Props support this with period glasses including period champagne glasses and a tray of cheeses, plus much more, including an egg for one scene with Herr Flick which was a great touch. 

This is a hugely ambitious and tricky farce play to stage with its many locations, mistaken packages, entrances and exits and split second timing. As one scene happened in front of a curtain, the previous scene was changed out of view almost noiselessly so when the curtain was pulled back for the next scene it revealed a whole new set: Edith’s mother’s bedroom and brass postered bed. The audience quite rightly gasped at how effectively and seamlessly this was done without us so much as noticing.  

It’s also tricky because the characters are so iconic. We know the way they talk and move and say their key words: anything less is jarring. It was great that the whole cast had taken this on board and they had worked so hard to bring these characters to life, guided by a skilled director no doubt giving them homework. René is the driving force for this play, here played by Graeme Corbishley in a wonderfully understated performance which was such an interesting choice and worked so very well. He is barely off the stage, the one breaking the fourth wall and telling us everything that’s going on. It was an homage but not copying, which was refreshing and so interesting to watch. His bewilderment at the confusion he finds himself in was quintessential René. 

Matching him and every bit his foil was Helen Griffin as Edith: with orange hair and costumes that spoke of her high opinion of herself. Hers was a fascinating performance, surpassing the original TV version, especially in the scene where she sings which had the audience rolling about and literally crying with laughter. She played it seriously which was spot on: relishing every moment of Edith’s version of a star performance, with gorgeous added details such as polishing the Colonel’s head with her scarf at one point. Superb performance in every scene but this particular one, especially for someone who can actually sing, was one of the funniest things to be glimpsed in any play.  

All the actors in this production did so very well, embodying their characters fully and very bravely in some ways: especially the three of them that appeared in their underwear. All the things that fans of Allo Allo will remember so fondly were there and helped to breathe. Ian Parratt looked exactly like Leclerc, making us all laugh with “it is I, Leclerc”; and Adam Rigg as Captain Geering pronounced the catchphrase “Tler!” exactly like the character in the show which was a lovely attention to detail. Ashley Jones played one of the funniest characters in the whole play: Crabtree, with his deadpan delivery which made it even funnier; and all the ‘mistakes’ in pronunciation which make everything so funny. Superbly done. Everybody remembers Herr Flick and Helga, here played by Dave Fricker in the long black leather coat and Laura Catchpole in the bleach blonde wig. Their scenes bounced along with such enjoyment to watch, aided by Dave Fricker’s expert comic timing and deadpan delivery worthy of Monty Python greatness, particularly in the long kiss with Helga which was incredibly funny, also including the “Flick the Gestapo” on the telephone and guffaw funny performance of the Gestapo song. The scene where he emerges from behind the screen having changed his clothes was done so incredibly well there were tears streaming with laughter and hooting from the audience. Andy Napier played Gruber beautifully – such subtlety, all in the looks and turning of his head, and the way he responded to the innuendos. 

There are so many standout pictures from this production for the audience to take away and talk about and laugh about long after it’s ended. The airmen hidden inside so many things including a pantomime horse, boxes and can-can dresses, Edith’s performance, and Herr Flick’s genius impersonation of a painting of the Führer in the General’s house. In addition, special mention has to go to the costumes where everything was spot on, from the tight blouses on Yvette and Mimi to full costumes on the German Officers and everything in between: the undertaker, the Policeman, Herr Flick, and the customers in the cafe. 

It’s interesting to hear the humour of such a long time ago and recognise the changed time we are in now. While the misogynistic humour is jarring, the play is from a different era as long as we know those are outdated attitudes. Yet most of the humour in the play is very innocent and some of it is so incredibly funny still now all these years later; such as Leclerc explaining about all the cheeses and Rene being exasperated and how he’s mucked it up; or Michelle’s “listen very carefully I will say this only once”, or the airmen popping up in various places saying “hello!” in heightened RP accents. These are very fine performances from everyone involved, and the whole team creating the vision behind it. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in this super production. 

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