Round The Horne, broadcast in the mid- to late-60s, was one of the best-loved of BBC radio comedy shows, and this play, fresh from a run in the West End, brings its unique brand of humour to life once again.
It proved a great success at its opening night in Malvern on Monday. The show's inimitable mix of wordplay, parody, innuendo and double entendre struck a chord with the audience almost from the word go.
In fact, some of the laughter had an almost disbelieving edge to it, as though people were wondering: "How on earth did they get away with that back then?"
Stephen Critchlow successfully recreates the genial urbanity of Kenneth Horne, around whom whirled the multi-talented Kenneth Williams (Stephen Matt-hews), Betty Marsden (Felicity Duncan) and Hugh Paddick (David Rumelle), not to forget imperturbable announcer Douglas Smith (Oliver Beamish).
The whole show is a keen reminder of why Round The Horne was one of the most popular shows of its day.
Robert HalE
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