A CHILDHOOD spent listening to radio comedy classics of yesteryear is responsible for a show which is coming to Barnard Castle later this month.
Actor and impressionist James Hurn will lead a three-strong cast when The Navy Lark hits the stage at The Witham, on Saturday, February 29, at 7.30pm.
The show brings to life three classic episodes of the much-loved radio series which ran from 1959 to 1977 and featured Leslie Phillips, Ronnie Barker and Jon Pertwee.
It comes hot on the heels of Mr Hurn’s hit one-man show Hancock & Co, featuring the classic comedy of Tony Hancock.
Mr Hurn said listening to his parents’ old vinyl recordings of classic radio comedy while growing up in the 1980s had stuck with him.
“When I was a kid, we still had a record player. My parents were born in the 40s when radio was the main kind of entertainment in the house – a lot of families would not have had TVs.
“The first time I encountered them was when I was about 10 or 11. My parents used to have the Hancock records and I was also into Round the Horn – the Goon Show came when I was a bit older.”
A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in the late 90s, Mr Hurn developed his Hancock show in 2016 to mart the 60th anniversary of Hancock’s Half Hour. Buoyed by its success, he began looking for something similar and hit on the Navy Lark.
“Hancock did really well. To start with I was getting audiences of ages 45 upwards, but then at several venues there were younger people.
“For The Navy Lark, I realised I could not do it with one person and three actors really helps to fill out the stage.
“We are playing the original actors playing the characters, complete with costumes.”
Mr Hurn will be joined on stage by actors Richard Usher and Mark Earby, who he first met when the three were asked to perform an old Hancock show called Vacant Lot.
“It never got off the ground, however, two of the scripts still existed. I thought of Richard and Mark when I was pondering over what to do.”
Tickets for The Navy Lark are £15 and £12 for U16s from The Witham box office on 01833 631107. Alternatively, book online at www.the witham.org.uk.
