Round The Horne … Revisited
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Mon 11th - Sat 16th October 2004
Box Office: 01752 267222
"If youre easily offended, youve come to the right place." And so started a marvellously cheeky, and not particularly offensive, two-hour tribute to and compilation of sketches from one of the 1960s most fondly remembered radio comedy series. During its heyday, the Round The Horne crew of Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and announcer Douglas Smith were frequently pulling in 15 million listeners, many of whom must have been among the audience of a nearly packed Theatre Royal.
The shows cunning wordplay and peculiar characters were easily brought to live by the cast of six.
Although it took a while for the audience to get warmed up (Ive no idea why, as the laughs were certainly in the script from the off).
 | | The cast of Round the Horne Revisited. |
The show takes place on a basic set of several microphones with a sound effects man in front of a 15 foot-high imitation wireless set. Actor Stephen Critchlow convincingly portrayed Kenneth Horne, a man exuding authority while trying to pretend he didnt always know what was going on around him during risqué conversations with the likes of characters Judy Collibah, J Peasmold Gruntfuttock or Rambling Sid Rumpo - but obviously understanding every word. And a special warmth was reserved for Paul Ryan (Kenneth Williams) and Jonathan Moore (Hugh Paddick) when they uttered the shows immortal line of: "Hello, Im Julian and this is my friend Sandy" as the two characters camply contemplated their new bona fide scheme or venture.
Adapted from original scripts by the programmes last surviving author, Brian Cooke.
His work, as well as that of fellow writers Jonnie Mortimer, Barry Took and Marty Feldman, still has the punch which had millions listening in 40 years ago.
Review by Andrew Segal. Round The Horne … Revisited
Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Mon 11th - Sat 16th October 2004
Box Office: 01752 267222  | write your own review... |  |
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