Barnard Castle Watercolour Signed Print - Ken Burton
Price:£29.00
Stop Messing About - Darlington Civic Theatre
May 14, 2010
STOP Messing About a Kenneth Williams Extravaganza is created by the team that also produced Round The Horne Revisited. Stop Messing About, a catchphrase of Kenneth Williams was the first radio show where he was the star, alongside him were Joan Sims, Hugh Paddick and the BBC announcer Douglas Smith. This production as you would expect is set in a BBC studio as we see two episodes faithfully recreated as if it was going out on air live. Complete with antique microphones, applause signs, scripts in hand and the sound operator in the corner the scene looks impressive.The script is exceptional, fast flowing, full of great one-liners with plenty of double entendres. For me though it is not a Kenneth Williams extravaganza. Robin Sebastian playing Kenneth Williams is brilliant in his impersonation and has all the subtle mannerisms needed, but this is a team effort. India Fisher as Joan Sims and Nigel Harrison as Hugh Paddick may not be as good with their impersonations, but they play just as important a role as Kenneth Williams. While Charles Armstrong keeps the whole show together as the BBC announcer with authority.
For me the show is very much playing on the nostalgia it creates and although there are many strong points to the show it is aimed with a certain audience in mind. For fans of Kenneth Williams, radio comedy and Carry On films this show is a must see.
Stop Messing About can also be seen at Newcastle Theatre Royal 27th - 29th May
A J Harrison