Blackadder II - Money, Potato and Chains

This was three episodes from series two of this 1986 classic comedy series by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. I was informed LBDG had performed three of the six half hour episodes some years ago, Bells, Head and Beer and this production, directed by Colin Aldous was completing the series with Money, Potato and Chains. Other than Chains I’d not seen Money or Potato outside of the original TV series.

Having been in a couple of these TV comedy classics myself I know very well what audiences come to see is the actor playing the original actor playing the iconic part, with all the mannerism and actions of the TV series. And LBDG certainly understood that and gave us a pretty good fist of it.

The set, designed by Mike Ward was loosely divided into three areas. To stage right was Blackadder’s bedroom complete with curtained four poster bed, which somehow very neatly slotted into the rear wall to form other rooms in his house. There was a well-used single door into it from stage right. The middle section had large medieval style wooden double doors to the rear and the main centre stage area left open for the various scenes required. To stage left was Queen Elizabeth’s throne room complete with blue throne on a plinth and a chair for ‘Nursie.’ And the rest of her entourage standing behind. Having these three acting areas was a neat idea to save time with scene changes as some scenes are so short any time taken to change scenes was always going to affect the pace. So, several times we had Queenie and her court unlit but in full view, setup but totally static whilst the previous scene unfolded.  Once you got used to it, it worked very well indeed. Very clever thinking.

This of course then depended on Dave Miles’ lighting design, to light the relevant scenes, which it mostly did very well indeed with the occasional actor disappearing into shadow, but this was opening night so was still the settling down stage. Sound by Rob Denehan was never an issue and all speeches were crystal clear.

Authentic style costumes by Sheena Ward and Martine Tournay completed this Elizabethan caper with a colourful flourish of doublets, breeches and dresses.

Stephen Burgess is certainly making his mark at LBDG specialising in classic TV comedy parts. And here he was fresh from his debut as Herr Flick in last year’s Allo, Allo, playing Lord Edmund Blackadder, with all the mannerisms and particularly the delivery of lines in that cutting sarcastic manner associated with Atkinson’s portrayal of the part. He seemed to grow more into the part as the evening progressed.

In fact, all the cast had studied their characters very well indeed. Colin Delamore it turns out does gormless rather well and the sight of him as Baldrick as a pencil case, with two pencils up his nostrils will live long in the memory.

Harry Mason was a comic delight as the clueless Lord Percy Percy. Excellent timing throughout and his appearance from underneath the covers of the bed to compromise the Bishop was a side-splitting moment.

I think if I had to give a prize for best portrayal of the original character it would have to go to Laura Loughran as Queenie. Not only had the hair, costume and makeup department made her look like Miranda Richardson but she absolutely nailed the voice and the mannerisms and especially the silly laugh.

Sue Calvert wasn’t far behind as Nursie and can do silliness as well as any of the cast, especially when wearing udders!

Tony White, probably wisely, didn’t attempt to be Stephen Fry but gave us his own very amusing interpretation of Lord Melchett.        

Russell Bennett didn’t just get to play the baddie, he got to play it twice. Once as the baby eating Bishop of Bath and Wells in Money and again as Ludwig the Indestructible in Chains. He certainly made his mark, and the audience jump, when he made his initial loud entrance though Blackadder’s door, sword in hand demanding his thousand pounds. And he certainly knows what to do with a red-hot poker!

Lucy Newbury, in her first production for LBDG and her first appearance on stage for ten years, fitted perfectly into this illustrious cast as Molly the lady of the night, hired by Blackadder.

Jan Delamore as Mrs Pants gave us one of those wonderful, memorable belly-laughs but cringe moments when discussing the sewage with Blackadder, with the superbly delivered line, ‘So you still crap out of the window?’

Mark Loughran demonstrated his comedic talents with Sir Walter Raleigh (Potato), Mr Pants (Money) and a very scary Spanish Inquisitor (Chains). The banter and “charades” between him and Blackadder with the latter locked in the torture box and getting the better of him was superb.

Andrew Ferguson had the largest and silliest red beard you could image as Captain Redbeard Rum in Potato. Hilarious stuff! He didn’t have to say a word to get his first laugh. He also played Arthur the Sailor in Money.

Callum Adams played the Messenger in Money risking life and limb delivering summons from Queenie, and as the Guard in Chains.

The most costume changes of any member of the cast has be Karl Rachwal who not only took on the Mad Beggar and a very flamboyant Leonardo Acropolis in Money as well as a guard in Chains but appeared in front of the curtain at the end of each episode, dressed in a very stylist black and grey Doublet and breeches as Tom the Balladeer to sing the extremely funny closing songs. ‘Blackadder, Blackadder…..’

This was indeed great fun and the audience loved it, which is always the best judge of a good show. A high-class production as we have come to anticipate, not forgetting the fabulous accompanying programme from Jo Taylor. So well done to Colin Aldous, his cast and crew. And their hospitality still sets the gold standard. Always a pleasure to visit the Library Theatre.

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