Billy Liar
WORDS: Tom Bevan (Editorial Group)
Keith Waterhouse's classic comedy novel Billy Liar has seen many adaptations since it was published in 1959, including a West End show, a BAFTA-nominated film and a brief but popular sitcom series in the early 70s.
However, since then the story has seldom been retold, rarely appearing at a professional level. This may be due to some of the dated references, which would fly over younger people's heads, but the audience in the New Theatre was very mixed and included many teenagers.
The play is split into three acts; the first, a Saturday morning, the second the afternoon of the same day and the third the late evening. Its warm and witty plot tells of a 19-year-old man, Billy Fisher, whose boring job and dull lifestyle forces his creative mind to daydream lavishly.
His claims he has a job as a scriptwriter in London are played down by his family who are used to his constant storytelling, which in the end has devastating effects.
Middle Ground Theatre Company has done a very good job of retelling this 60s classic and each role was cast excellently. Helen Fraser, who starred as Barbara in the original film, is right at home here as Billy's mother and plays the part with her usual gusto. Her husband on stage, Dicken Ashworth, uses his deep, gravelly voice to humorous effect and like everyone in the show delivers each line with perfect timing.
In his most recent project, Wallace And Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, he is the voice of Mr Mulch who has to deal with pests attacking his vegetables. In Billy Liar, he has to deal with something much worse - a lying son.
Played by Chris Hannon, a graduate of the Manchester Metropolitan University School Of Theatre, Billy is a loveable, funny character who entertains throughout with his abrupt journeys into his imagination. In the third act there is less of this daydreaming, which allows us to see a different side of the character which was not explored before and gives us an insight into his childhood.
He enjoys varied romances in the story, and is engaged to two different women at the same time. This adds to the complex but easy to follow plot and spawns some awkward moments!
The set, a typical interior of a house from the 1960s, did not change during the play and many a scene reminded me of The Royle Family, with most of the action taking place in the living room. It was this setup which invited the audience to create a bond with the troubled family throughout. This production is both heart warming and rib-tickling and in parts very poignant.
Showing until Saturday 7 March at the New Theatre, with tickets starting from £8.
