Hi-De-Hi

Hi-De-Hi
10th July 2025
The Princes Hall Clevedon
Produced by: Clevedon Light Opera Club (CLOC)
Adapted from the TV version by: Paul Carpenter and Ian Gower
Directed by: Ian Doswell
Musical Director: Mike Fackrell
Noda Rep: Mike Purnell

You certainly couldn’t have got the setting more accurate. I felt slap bang in
the middle of the Hawaiian ballroom on entering the hall and you had me
grinning from ear to ear even before the curtain went up. Like your director
Ian, I also remember that original series airing on TV. It was something so
new, so different, with larger than life characters that we all just simply fell in
love with.
From the moment the lights came up, the audience was transported straight
into the heart of 1950s British holiday culture. This production captured the
charm and chaos of Maplin’s holiday camp, with infectious energy and pitch
perfect performances. I loved that the set was well thought through. It is a
decent size stage at Clevedon and every time I go to see a show I’m always
impressed with the layout of the set utilising all areas to give the show a great
flow. We went seamlessly from one scene to another which kept the pace
and energy from beginning to end.
The set design cleverly recreated the camps various locations from the staff
room to the office and to Gladys little office and in the blink of an eye two
chalet bedrooms appeared before us. The directors vision was clear and well
executed blending nostalgia with theatrical flair a plenty!
Was it a great script to begin with? I’m sure upon reading it it probably felt a
bit dated and maybe some jokes wouldn’t have gone down so well these
days, so what you did with it really made it work, shake it up a little, add a
few bits of other episodes, and why not make it a musical for good measure?
I would have expected nothing less from Ian and Mike! You made it work for
you as a club and entertained us no end with real laugh out loud moments.
The casting was excellent. We certainly had more than just an essence of the
characters. I felt a lot of homework and study had gone into this, but what I
liked most was that they remained real. It would have been so easy to take
them even further over the top, but they were all pitched just right and
remained those loveable characters we grew up with. I also loved how during
the unexpected fire drill everyone seemed to remain in their characters and
suddenly there we were all having a lovely sing song almost like the war time
spirit. This was an added bonus and most welcome.

The costumes looked so authentic. Great idea to have the yellow coats as

front of house staff - that got everyone in the Hi De Hi mood right from the
off. Fair play to Lynne and Mim and I’m sure help from all corners of the club
for achieving such an authentic look. And as for Barry and Yvonne well that
red dress just wow! Looked gorgeous on you, Lynda didn’t look too bad
either! What a pairing. Perfect.
I must say it was one of the hottest nights of the year and even for us as an
audience member the heat became a little uncomfortable at times, so I must
commend everyone on stage to bring the pace and energy that they did in
that heat. You really all deserve a Maplin’s trophy.

Jeffrey Fairbrother (Jonny)
You brought a lovely gentle charm to the character and with your
awkwardness, polite demeanour and charisma made him so endearing. Your
interactions with Gladys were wonderfully awkward and brought about some
of the very funny moments of the evening. You put across the difficulties you
faced relating to the working class culture of the holiday camp very well.

Gladys Pugh (Cath)
You were without doubt chief yellow coat. You came across as fiercely proud,
deeply Welsh and hopelessly in love with Jeffrey. You were Gladys from top to
toe from the sing song tannoy announcements to the fluttering of the eye
lashes. Whether you were rolling your eyes at Ted or sighing over Jeffrey or
dealing with rivals like Sylvia you nailed it. Brilliant.

Ted Bovis (Simon)
From the moment you came on stage and strutted your stuff suited and
booted perfectly you had us eating out of the palm of your hand. Your
delivery and comic timing were spot on. I felt you brought a nice fresh energy
to Ted making him extremely real and not caricatured. Whether you were
dodging alimony payments or cooking up another dodgy deal he was a
loveable rogue you couldn’t help but root for.

Peggy Ollerenshaw (Sue)
This performance of Peggy was an absolute scene stealer. You certainly
embodied Peggy’s hopeful spirit and quirky charm. You got the walk, the
accent, bringing warmth and authenticity to the role and remained consistent
throughout. You sang up a storm during the dream sequence with added
theatrical flair. Your performance wasn’t just funny it was touching also there
were so many “Ahs” from the audience when your dreams were dashed! We
loved you.

Spike (Tom)

You paired up perfectly with Ted creating a lot of the comic moments of the
show. You had some great funny costumes which you carried off brilliantly.
Good timing and expressive reactions. Good job.

Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves (Lynda)
What a graceful poise you brought to the role capturing Yvonne’s snooty
ballroom dancer persona. Your interactions with Barry were a highlight -
especially the bickering. I felt you embodied her perfectly and were the
perfect duo with Barry. There should be a spinoff. Once again I loved the red
dress. Gorgeous.

Barry Stuart-Hargreaves (Barry)
What can I say? Knowing you well, and knowing how much attention to detail
you pay to every character you play this was no exception. From the wig to
your shoes you embodied him completely. Every look and expression every
breath meant something and we got it, you made sure of that. Great pairing
with Lynda, we had some wonderful comedic moments especially in the
bedroom! Well done.

Mr Partridge (Andy)
Well you certainly captured the miserable grumbling nature of Mr Partridge
with authenticity remaining faithful to the original tv character that we all knew
and loved. A great team player and added to the nostalgic charm of the
evening.

Fred Quilley (Craig)
Whilst Fred isn’t the most prominent character, you certainly made your mark.
You gave a solid performance that stayed true to the spirit of the piece. You
captured that essence of the disgraced jockey turned riding instructor. We
could have asked for no more.

Sylvia Garnsey (Lucy)
You embodied Sylvia’s flirtatious charm and camp glamour. Despite limited
lines, you certainly made your impression on the piece bringing Sylvia’s sass
to life. Good expressions and some nice comic timing.
All other characters

Fairplay to you all. Despite not having a great deal to do, and the heat to
contend with, you all looked like you were thoroughly enjoying yourselves.
This came across to the audience big time. Your energy and enthusiasm
really bolstered up the lead characters. Well done.

Director

What a great choice of show for this club, and in my opinion where you really
scored highly was turning it into a musical version. It gave all the characters
another dimension and a chance to shine at what they do best. Despite the
heat of the night it was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable evening one I
would have liked to have come back to again had I had an evening free. The
flow and pace was excellent and it felt to me like you used your rehearsal
period to the full, and probably had as good a time rehearsing it as we did
watching it. Dare I say Acorn Antiques sometime in the future?
CLOC thank you for a wonderful night and a very warm welcome. It’s always
a pleasure to come and see your shows.
Best wishes
Mike

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