Hi-de-Hi!

This 1980’s sitcom was a very popular television programme in its day, with many well-loved characters set in a holiday camp in the 1950’s.

The show began with Gladys Pugh doing one of her famous Maplin’s announcements.  With just the right lilting welsh accent required, there was also good characterisation throughout in this part.

Peggy has a lot of the humour and pathos in the play, as she strives to become a yellow coat.  This was handled well on the whole, although could have had a bit more of the energy that Su Pollard is famous for. Former ballroom champions Barry and Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves were a magnificent pairing.  The actors worked really well together and made the most of their parts.  Their obvious disdain at fellow yellow coats and sarcasm with each other was hilarious; very well done. Likewise the rest of the cast handled their various parts well.

Costumes and wigs were very good and in keeping, as were the various props and room dressings.

The set worked well, with the stage divided into 2 rooms; the staff room on one side and a door through to Jeffrey Fairbrother’s office on the other.  A small separate area downstage provided the microphone and xylophone needed for the wonderful Gladys Pugh to do her announcements. Later in Act 1 the curtains were closed to form part of the ballroom whilst the staff chalets were put into place behind the curtain.  Unfortunately this created quite a lot of noise during a quieter moment, which was a shame.  Utilising the 2 rooms that were already on stage and redressing them would have been quicker and less disruptive to the action in front of the curtains.  Likewise the bar being carried on and off by stage crew, sometimes at rather strange times, would have been better avoided.

The audience participation joining in with ‘Ho-de-Ho!’ and voting for our favourite yellow coat worked well and gave a feel of life at a 1950’s holiday camp. Also having the yellow coats to meet and greet the audience and conducting a knobbly knees competition in the interval was a nice touch. On the whole, the directors did a good job of bringing this gentle comedy to life on stage and provided a very enjoyable evening of entertainment.

 

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