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The French cast of ’Allo ’Allo, from left, Amelia Meineke (Yvette), Mike Rose (Officer Crabtree), Mark Woods (M LeClerc), Dave Morgan (Rene) Julia Mitchell (Michelle), Dianne Morgan (Mimi) and Cathy Phelps (Edith).
Warkworth Theatre Group (WTG) mounts its biggest and most ambitious show for 20 years with a production of ’Allo ’Allo next month at the Warkworth Town Hall, May 16 to 24.
The comedy is based on the hugely popular TV series written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.
The stage version follows the adventures of hapless café owner Rene in war-torn occupied France.
He and his wife Edith struggle to keep for themselves a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis, but now kept in a sausage in their cellar.
To make matters more complicated, Rene is hiding two British airmen and is endeavouring to repatriate them, but struggles to communicate with London via a wireless set disguised as a cockatoo.
Director Rosie Hutchinson says most of the favourite TV characters are in the stage play and the biggest challenge has been to ensure that Warkworth Theatre Group is producing a play with its own identity, while retaining the integrity of the original show.
WTG president Richard Boyle says he is encouraged by the large number of theatre group members involved, both on stage and behind the scenes in ’Allo ’Allo. The cast and crew comprise more than 30 people.
“We struggled for numbers for a few years but now have a very active committee, a regular play reading group and a large group of passionate people committed to all aspects of the production process,” he says.
After ’Allo ’Allo, WTG’s next show will be Death and Taxe$ by New Zealand playwright April Philips. It will be directed by Sally Knight. Auditions will be held in June for a production scheduled for September.
