Hi-de-Hi

Characters from long-running TV series become part of our own lives, sometimes even old friends of sorts. It’s easy to understand how watching the equally lovable and exasperating idiosyncrasies and madcap activities of Maplin’s Holiday Camp staff became a national habit back in the 1980s.

As the curtain fell on Waterbeach Theatre Company’s production of Hi-De-Hi, the two-act stage play based on the TV comedy, I completely got the national sentiment: I was sorry to see this very silly but endearing and enduring group of characters make their final exit.

A character-driven comedy, Hi-De-Hi’s plot threads are thin. Suffice it to say that the action takes place at the holiday camp, and the characters, all of whom have issues of some kind, do not experience any lasting resolution to their particular challenges or circumstances by show’s end. 

Directed by Julie Petrucci, WTC’s Hi-De-Hi got underway as soon as the audience entered the auditorium, greeted by enthusiastic ‘Yellow Coat’ girls from the show cast and presented with flower leis. The ‘girls’ offered their greetings in perfect character, setting the groundwork for the action ahead. Very fun!

Much of the action is driven by the Welsh-accented sports organiser and tannoy announcer Gladys Pugh, who not-so-secretly lusts after the entertainment manager Jeffrey Fairbrother. Peggy Ollerenshaw is the sweet-natured cleaner who aspires to become one of the (sort of) glamorous Yellow Coat activity leaders and entertainment, and Ted Bovis is the avuncular but debt-riddled and rather pathetic camp entertainer who tries to let his personal Elvis out through his hideous black quiff coiffeur. Other eccentrics in this band of misfits include the sniffy ballroom dancer Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves and Barry Stuart-Hargreaves, the toy boy Yvonne has transformed into her semi-respectable dance partner. 

As Gladys, Clare McDonald had arguably the trickiest role to navigate, by turns cloying, annoying, persistent, flirtatious and manipulative, all in a heavy Welsh accent, and what a delightful performance it was. Simon Colston was an effective foil for her as the nervous, indecisive entertainment manager, who may or may not have succumbed to Gladys’s charms during an uncharacteristic drunken stupor. Chris Shinn was a suitably smarmy Ted Bovis, while Phil Law was hilarious as the dim toy boy with whipped crème hair, attached to snobby Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves (Christine Easterfield in another of her mellifluously-voiced, graceful performances) who is never without her handbag. 

Other bountifully comedic performances were delivered by Caroline Blair as battle-axe Hilary Bovis, James Dowson as a Met police officer on holiday and Vicki Hingley as the ever-optimistic Peggy. As Sylvia ‘the legs’ Garnsey, Emma Foltyne made the most of a role with limited dialogue, exuding attitude and a twinkly, all-knowing confidence.  In other roles good support was given by James Windle (Spike), Martin George (Fred) and Punch and Judy Man, Michael Williamson.

WTC outdid its usual high standards in the costume and hair department with immaculately detailed Yellow Coats and fabulous wigs for all. Another great touch was adding songs in between scenes to give the Yellow Coats more stage time and to cover scenery changes.

Unusually for WTC, this set lacked ‘punch points’ – meaning, even when the location is intentionally dreary, there should be some stand-out feature or element. However, with such colourful performances being played in front of the set, the backdrops faded from consciousness.

This was a well-paced, well-played and creative production that left a lingering smile. Well done.

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