Our House

I was sailing across the sea to be with my Uncle Sam. Well not exactly I was driving in my car (It’s not quite a Jaguar) down the motorway to be with Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company, where I received an excellent welcome to their production of “Our House”.  With a title like that what else could this be but a musical based on the songs of that seemingly everlasting group Madness? Oh, how we love them. Which one of us has not secretly bopped around the kitchen imitating the nutty boys stomp or adapted a Camden accent to repeatedly sing, “Baggy trousers, baggy trousers”?

With such a wealth of well-known ditties to draw on how can this not be a sure-fire hit. And, in a nutshell, that is what this show was.

From the moment the superb onstage band began to play we were taken on a glorious carpet ride of fun. Of course, there is a serious message to be conveyed as well. This comes in the exploration of Joe Casey’s reaction to his conviction for daring to enter a building site illegally with the intention of showing his girlfriend a special view of the city. From such seemingly small unconsidered actions do great consequences arise. We then follow both the good Joe and the bad Joe as they in their different ways come to terms with them.  But back to the band. They were wonderful. Tight, not a bit intrusive and well conducted by MD Lisa Manley. I was particularly impressed by the drummer’s use of his hi-hat. Well done, sir. I can’t name you as I could not find you credited in the programme.! Some mistake surely.

John Huyton as Joe’s Dad kept the action moving, repeatedly quoting from that very clever 1999 song on the “Wonderful” album”, “Simple Equation”. If you don’t know this song do look up the lyrics. It is a shame that all Madness lyrics are not better know. Yes, we all know the choruses but how many of us can sing their songs, apart from “It Must Be Love”, all the way through. We are missing a trick here as the boys are not just pretty(ish) faces. John had the necessary gravitas and stature to hold the entire play together. Josh Hindle as the boy Joe, only 16 when we first meet him,  a part and a half, no it is actually 2 parts. What a performance this was. Josh gave us a range of different emotions all successfully conveyed. He made sure he was always the centre of attention and moved with ease across the stage. A piece of astute casting by director Richard Sanderson. All the main players are to be congratulated. In a show such as this it is of paramount importance that every person visible on stage is seen to be enjoying themselves and relishing their part in the action. There were no weak spots here, everyone was on song to speak.  And what of the dancers  and the ensemble. Just how good were they! The antics devised for them by choreographer, Daniel Mason were amazing. I mean that in the true sense of word, “I was amazed.” I suspect, like me, many of the enthusiastic audience wanted to get up and join in. I admire the pluck of the young dancer who twice allowed herself to be thrown across the stage high into the air to be caught by her fellows. I once had to do this in a drama class and was dropped. I still bear the scars. (True story).

 For me this was a show that got progressively better as the evening went on building up to a fabulous climax. I thought the cast were never going. To leave the stage. I am sure they could have danced all night and still have come back for more. Yes, this was a hit. I enjoyed it immensely. It certainly was no embarrassment. And now I will shut up, go driving in my car, for after all tomorrow’s just another day.

Thank you, Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company, for your hospitality.

 The chocolates were delicious by the way.

 Roll on the next show. I can’t wait!

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