Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne

17th-21st April 2018

Cast

Joe Pasquale as Frank Spencer

Sarah Earnshaw as Betty Spencer

Susie Blake as Barbara Fisher

Moray Treadwell as Terry Luscombe/David Worthington

David Shaw-Parker as Father O'Hara

Chris Kiely as Desmond James/Constable

(Understudies Leoni Kibbey & Peter F Gardiner)

Even in 2018 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em remains one of the most iconic TV Comedies this country has ever produced. The 1970's production, which ran for 5 years (73-78) consistently topped the viewing figure ratings with hapless Frank Spencer's farcical escapades. Michael Crawford CBE is of course best known for starring in the side-splitting sitcom and famed for undertaking all his own stunts.

Joe Pasquale and Sarah Earnshaw

It takes a brave and talented man to bring such a well known role to the stage and I can't think of anybody better (and crazier) than Joe Pasquale to portray such a well known character.

I do have to say it was great , and I heard others saying likewise, that Joe didn't try to just impersonate the TV character. It has worked far better with the comedian just being virtually his normal stage self and transferring his own traits into this show.

I honestly don't think I have seen a funnier stage play and this sets a new benchmark on which I shall judge stage comedies. I have never heard so much constant laughter in the Devonshire Park Theatre.

Joe is utterly brilliant but the rest of the cast are equally as impressive. Sarah Earnshaw (who I believe I last saw in the musical Jekyll and Hyde in Tunbridge Wells back in 2011) is a wonderful, despairing but devoted Betty.

Meanwhile Susie Blake has us in stitches as she turns to alcohol for salvation as the farce develops. Susie is no stranger to Eastbourne theatres having been at this same venue back in 2009 starring in another comedy Boeing Boeing.

The remaining cast members may not be as well known as the aforementioned trio but they are just as talented and funny. All credit goes to Emily Jones for a great casting on this tour.

But there is a final non-living star of this great production and that is the set itself. It is extremely innovative, functional and technologically impressive. For one, relatively small, set to be able to effectively and convincingly recreate an actual episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em is quite an achievement.

But that is what this set achieves. Every part of this multi function set seemed to work flawlessly. You never quite knew what surprises it could reveal next. You are left until the very end for it to perform its magnificent finale.

It even provides an opportunity for Joe to perform his best stunt of the night. I won't spoil the surprise here but lets just say if you thought Joe has a higher than average voice well this stunt may just be making it a tad higher on each performance.

Well done to Simon Higlett for designing such a great set !

To sum up if you love your comedies this is one you really should not miss. It is a totally hilarious masterpiece.

Joe Pasquale and this magnificent cast truly bring the house down !

Boeing Boeing Review, Sarah Jayne Dunn, Susie Blake, 3rd March 2009

CAST

(In pictured order left to right)

Gloria - Sarah Jayne Dunn
Robert - John Marquez
Gretchen - Josephine Butler
Bernard - Martin Marquez
Bertha - Susie Blake
Gabriella - Thaila Zucchi

We saw Boeing Boeing on the second night of its 6 day Eastbourne visit and it was encouraging to see a good size audience in attendance.

There's not a lot that can be said about the plot in Boeing Boeing as it's fairly straightforward. One man, Bernard, is engaged to 3 air hostesses at the same time. He has absolutely no intention of marrying any of them. The convenience of them being on different airlines and on completely different timetables ensures they will never meet..................

........... which is of course rubbish because this is a farce and in farce land anything and everthing that can go wrong does.

With many farces there is a gradual build from mildly funny at the beginning to a hilarious ending.

Not with this play however, it is consistently funny throughout and very well acted too.

Sarah Jayne Dunn (ex Hollyoaks) is on stage first with serial hostess addict Martin Marquez.

The hilarious Sarah Jayne, in her red outfit, would fit perfectly into the current TV advert for Virgin Airlines with its emphasis on blond, glamorous air hostesses. Martin who has a long history in theatre and many TV credits to his name plays the (initially) confident and smug womanizer superbly.

Susie Blake is like a duck to water in her role as the "I see everything, but say nothing" misery guts maid, Bertha. She is one of those people who can get a laugh without saying a word - and this happens on many occasions.

Bernard's long lost cousin, the rather dippy, Robert is played by John Marquez who is not only a fine actor but a master of facial expression.

Equally impressive are Josephine Butler as stern German air hostess Gretchen and Thaila Zucchi as the Italian love interest, Gabriella.

This really is a very funny typical farce and credit must go to the play's writer Marc Camoletti and to the translators who did such a fine job of taking this from its native French language to English.

Oh and I almost forgot Boeing Boeing should probably get the award for best curtain call ever. Without saying more I'll leave that experience for the future enjoyment of those who have not seen this funny show.

On the downside? Well for one of the funniest and enjoyable shows we have ever seen at the Devonshire the cast seemed to be one of the least friendly and willing to meet people we've ever experienced.

Granted it was a horrible wet, very cold and windy night but only 3 of us were getting drenched and freezing cold at the stage door. The guy who was there with us was only there because 50% of the cast had failed to show up, the previous night, at the Friends Of The Devonshire Park Theatre first night meet-the-cast opportunity so he had made a special trip. We too belong to the Friends but we rarely attend these events now simply because so many cast members don't show up. It does seem to defeat the object of this membership "perk".

I may be wrong but it did seem that the cast were hanging around at the back of a corridor hoping we would just go away. But despite the wind and cold we persevered and the cast did emerge.

Thailla Zuchi was very pleasant and Sarah Jayne Dunn did kindly sign my programe and another picture I had. However whilst the other cast members did provide autographs they weren't exactly the friendliest bunch ever and one cast member, who gracefully I won't name, I found positively and rather surprisingly "off" and rude. Perhaps 30 seconds of niceness is too much for some in rainy and cold conditions?

Never mind though we return to many a show because of the niceness of cast members we have met before. We won't be rushing back for anything in the future that person is starring in.