Reviewed by Catherine Joyce
When Bolton Council opened their new travel interchange in September 2017 I am sure no one imagined that it would become the location for the opening scene of Bolton Octagon’s latest production, Summer Holiday. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Bolton Octagon are in the process of transforming their current building to be welcoming, accessible and open for audiences and artists for another 50 years to come. When they were planning the production, they were unsure whether they would actually have a theatre to work in so came up with the fantastic idea of staging a show outdoors.
The travel interchange is bright and airy and was an inspired choice for a musical about a group of bus mechanics. We have been to outdoor productions before and moving location for different scenes always works really well but Bolton Octagon has really taken the outdoor performance to a whole new level. Not only was the production staged in a couple of locations around Bolton but the audience were transported between the first two scenes on 6 double decker buses! I am sure that logistically this must have been a nightmare to plan but it all worked superbly well.
For those who don’t know the story, made famous in Cliff Richard’s 1963 film, a group of bus mechanics manage to get hold of an old double decker which they convert before taking it on a trip to the south of France. On the way they pick up other travellers, have adventures, fall in love and eventually make it to Athens. This version is slightly different to the original but follows the same theme, telling the story of a group of Bolton bus mechanics who want a holiday.
There were a few bemused travellers in the interchange when the play started, they must have wondered what on earth was going on but they all seemed to enjoy the surprise and actually looked a little sorry when the buses arrived to transport us to Bolton Town Hall, ending their unexpected entertainment! A cast member travelled on each bus and encouraged us all to join in with a Cliff Richard sing a long whilst we travelled the short distance to “France” where the lads pick up their first passengers, pop group Do-Ray-Me. The audience then takes a short walk to the Octagon where we took our seats for the rest of the performance in the actual theatre.
We really enjoyed this aspect of the night, whilst we’ve been to many outdoor plays none have ever included a bus ride! For us the weather was fine but future audiences might like to check the forecast before setting out as, whilst short, the second scene of the show is outdoors.
Music is obviously at the heart of the show with plenty of songs from the original film including The Young Ones, Living Doll, Batchelor Boy and, of course, the title track, Summer Holiday. Instead of a band or recorded soundtrack each member of the cast played instruments which worked really well and didn’t get in the way of the storyline, indeed it fitted the idea of hip 60’s teenagers really well.
Every member of the cast was obviously enjoying themselves, the play was fun, lively and had plenty of humour. It is difficult to pick a favourite but for me, Barbara Hockaday as Stella, the fame obsessed mother of stowaway Barbara was perfect, playing a great comedy double act with Greg Last as Jerry, the useless agent.
The Octagon is situated in the centre of Bolton and is really easy to get to. It has its own NCP car park right next door and parking is just £2 after 5pm. It is also very close to the new interchange so using public transport is a good option too. The theatre has a cafe and bar for those who enjoy a pre or post show drink or want to add a meal into their evening out.
We had a fantastic night out, I think it is one of the best shows we have seen for a long time, it has something for everyone – comedy, a great cast, plenty of catchy songs and of course the bus ride!
We really enjoyed this fun musical and would definitely recommend you go and see it, it is on until the 23rd June so why not take a look?
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £18.50 to £27.50 (booking fees may apply).
Summer Holiday The Musical is at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton from 31 May to 23 June 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit octagonbolton.co.uk or call the box office on 01204 520661.
Octagon Theatre. Howell Croft South, Bolton, BL1 1SB | 01204 520661
