Summer Holiday

This stage adaptation of the Cliff Richards’ film was well presented, well costumed in the era of the 1960s, and brought life to the songs by Cliff and the Shadows, much appreciated by the audience.  In the time of the film’s release, Continental holidays were a dream for most, and the thought of borrowing a bus to go abroad very much a pipe-dream, but Cyril, Steve and Edwin (Colin McGowan, Roy McGregor and Alastair McLeod) managed.  On their trip, they helped out the pop trio Do-Re-Me (Mimsie, Angie and Alma, aka Melanie Harris, Kathryn Andrew and Jen McGuire) whose car had malfunctioned en route to a gig.  They also were joined by ‘Bobby’, (Barbara, played by Emily Thomson) a girl in disguise as a boy, who was running from a domineering mother, Stella (Frances Adams).  Already an established pop sensation, Barbara was fed up with the trappings of fame, and fitted well with the two groups, mechanics and singers.  Chased by Stella and publicity agent Jerry (a downtrodden Alan Orr) ‘Bobby and her new-found friends get into various scrapes, but romance blossoms for some, in time-honoured fashion for a musical.

The various European hotspots hit during the action gave scope (and the excuse) for lots of movement by the full chorus, and there was humour and a certain amount of pathos in Alan’s production.  Good singing undar David’s baton meant this was a happy, fun-filled show with easy-going songs bringing many a memory to the audience, many of whom would have known the film when it first came out, and had similar romances while singing the better-known songs from the show.  An enjoyable evening’s entertainment well done by a cast filled with those not even a glint in a father’s eye when the film came out.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.