Summer Holiday

Based on the film of the same name the stage adaptation includes all the well know Cliff Richard songs including In The Country, Bachelor Boy, On The Beach and the title song Summer Holiday.

The show follows Don and his fellow London Transport bus mechanics as they journey through Paris, the Alps, Italy and then Greece, along the way picking up three young girls in a clapped-out Morris Minor and a young American pop star on the run from her domineering mother.

As the mechanics Don, Steve, Edwin and Cyril Darren Tasker, Graeme Scott, Neil Gordon and Josh Ure made a formidable team working well together and they captured the individual characters perfectly.

As singing group Do-Re-Mi (Mimsie, Alma and Angie) Hannah Easton, Karine Stalker and Rebecca Gillies blended well together to create a nice sound and looked every inch the girl group of the time. Siobhan Smith as the in disguise runaway Barbara gave a convincing performance who eventually finds love.

The comedy in the show was provided by Barbara’s domineering mother Stella (Carol Fraser) and her assistant Jerry (Eric Brown). They took every opportunity to play the laughs as they tried to track down the runaway Barbara.

The chorus sang and moved well and it was nice to see the addition of some of the members of the youth section included.

Director, Sandy Queenan, made good use of the stage available even managing to fit a London bus on the stage without making it look crowded. The orchestra never overpowered and movement was appropriate and added to the overall enjoyment. A show that everyone involved both on and off stage can be very pleased with – well done on brining a touch of Summer to a drab October night.

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