The Stage

‘Allo ‘Allo!

Published Monday 8 September 2008 at 13:15 by Clare Brotherwood

Listen very carefully, I will say this only once - you will revel in the latest stage production of the TV cult comedy classic ‘Allo ‘Allo! You won’t be able to help yourselves.

Randy Rene and his winsome waitresses may still be caught up in the hunt for the fallen Madonna with the big you know whats, but this show is fresh, hugely entertaining - especially the scene featuring a punctured rubber Hitler - and stuffed full of ingenious one-liners and compromising situations, faultlessly delivered by a cast which looks uncannily like the line-up of the TV series.

Even more remarkable is Vicki Michelle, reprising her original TV role of Yvette - the series finished in 1992 after 10 years, but Michelle doesn’t look a day older, although her growling greeting for Rene is certainly sexier.

Following in the footsteps of Gorden Kaye and his legendary portrayal of Rene is affable Jeffrey Holland. You would think almost impossible, but he manages to capture both personae to the point where you can’t tell the difference. Not to be outdone, Judy Buxton (Holland’s wife) plays Michelle of the resistance as if Kirsten Cooke herself is on stage.

Others who give a feeling of deja vu include Claire Andreadis as Mimi, James Rossman as Herr Flick and Martin Carroll as Captain Bertorelli. For a side-splitting night out, you couldn’t do better, and it’s touring until Michelle and Holland go into pantomime.