'’Allo ’Allo’ on stage

Press, 8 November 1988, Page 7

'’Allo ’Allo’ on stage

“’Allo ’Allo,” by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, a David Croft Production at the Theatre Royal, Gloucester Street. November 7 to 14. Running time 8 p.m. to 10.25 p.m. Reviewed by Elody Rathgen. A large and enthusiastic audience laughed their way through “an average day in the life of a poor French cafe owner” on the opening night of the touring “’Allo, ’Allo” show. Devotees of the television series sat back in relaxed fashion to enjoy all the habits and foibles of their favourite characters. They obviously felt rewarded. Rene’s "average day” covered saving an original painting to sell for his retirement, buying a stuffed cockatoo, coping with punctured inflatable Hitler models, responding to the Resistance schemes, keeping track of all his romances and his wife, and trying to make sense of Crabtree’s hilarious accent — and much more. Of course it also included failing yet again to help the trapped British airmen to escape the Gestapo. The performance by Gordon Kaye in the lead role is relaxed, warm and never over-stated. He establishes a superb rapport with the audience, who do not miss one nuance or gesture. A major element of audience pleasure was the anticipation of seeing the actors

perform all their expected routines. Noone in the cast let them down. From “Good moaning” Crabtree to the darling Yvette, the debonair Bertorelli, longsuffering Edith and tough “little Mimi” all the traditions of “’Allo ’Allo” were enjoyed with relish. As for the potentially threatening, but in reality incompetent German forces, one had to wonder who had conquered who. There were moments when the performance lagged, especially towards the end of the long first half. Of course the plot is of little significance in a play such as this. What the audience waited for were the moments of brilliant situational comedy. When these came, as they did often, the theatre reverberated with appreciative laughter. The wicked suggestiveness, the pace of the moments of slapstick and some witty scripting kept people delighted. “’Allo ’Allo” has become extremely successful formula comedy. There is a lot in the text to object to if one were to think about it for too long. But provoking thought is not the intention of this play. So, listen carefully, “I will sew this only wince” (as Crabtree would say) if a thought-free and hilarious evening at the theatre is desired, “’Allo ’Allo” is among the best of the traditional British light comedy shows to tour New Zealand. 4