Reviewed by Louise Watts
Take yourself back to the 1970’s and the world of Frank and Betty Spencer. I bet you are chuckling at the thought of it already! This iconic comedy series by Raymond Allen starred a much younger Michael Crawford as accident prone Frank and Michele Dotrice as his long-suffering wife Betty. Now in 2018, this lovable show has been brought to the stage so we can all enjoy the delightful double act of Frank and Betty once again!
The role of Frank is played by comedian Joe Pasquale. If I am honest, I have never been a Pasquale fan (sorry Joe!), however when I heard that he was cast as Frank, I could not think of anybody better and was beginning to look forward to seeing him perform. Joe embraced the role of Frank completely and was absolutely outstanding. He deserves a medal just for learning the script! I am a fully converted Joe fan now.
Betty is played by the lovely Sarah Earnshaw who has some wonderful theatre credentials to her name. She would have to be something special to stand up alongside Joe and that is exactly what she was! The double act was fantastic and the dynamic between the two of them was hilarious.
They were supported on stage by the talented Susie Blake, best known to me as Beverley Unwin in Coronation Street. Susie played Mrs Fisher, Frank’s disapproving mother-in-law who has struck up a new friendship with Mr. Worthington from the bank (played by Moray Treadwell).
The story itself revolves around Frank Spencer, a very accident prone but well-meaning man and his wife Betty who supports him all the way even after the biggest disasters!
The show opens with Betty revealing some good news to Father O’Hara (David Shaw-Parker), however she is not sure how to tell Frank. With some great confusion, assumption and a hilarious script, Frank eventually finds out the news but not in the way Betty would have liked. My absolute favourite bit had to be Frank performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on Father O’Hara… belly laughing material!!!
The story continues when Frank is given the chance to appear on the BBC as an up and coming magician. Could this be Frank’s big break or will it all end (as usual) in disaster?!
All comes to a head and draws to a finale when Constable Desmond (Chris Kiely) arrives on the door step. I promise you there was not a dry eye in the house as people had tears of laughter running down their faces.
The set was very clever and utilised to perfection. There were signs of Frank’s DIY all over the place which added throughout the show to the comedy factor. It was adapted at times to reflect various disasters that had occurred but was somehow still standing at the end! There were some very obvious features from the 1970’s in the set and I was glad to see that it had not been brought up to date but left where it belonged in that era. There was a distinct 1970’s feel with the costumes too which were exactly as you would expect.
The Orchard theatre is a delightful venue and has a substantial auditorium seating just under 1000 people. It was delightful to see the seats full tonight for the opening night of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em which goes to show just how popular the TV show was.
There are great facilities at the Orchard Theatre including the possibility to eat before the show. There are bars serving alcoholic and soft drinks and a coffee shop for those who prefer a hot drink. Parking is easy in the adjacent multi-storey car park and there is a flat rate of £3 for the evening. This can be paid before the show too, so you can avoid the queueing afterwards. The staff are always very friendly and happy to help in any way they can.
I would recommend this show to anyone who has fond memories of the 1970’s show and anyone who just fancies a thoroughly enjoyable, laugh a minute night out! It will definitely have you saying “Ooh Betty” by the end! An absolutely hilarious evening that you would be a fool to miss!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £30.50 to £33.50 (booking fees may apply).
Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford from 8-12 May 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01322 220000.
The Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1ED | 01322 220000
