Porridge
Let’s be honest, the British sitcom isn’t what it used to be and as the BBC repeats countless episodes of old favourites, some bright spark in the world of theatre decided to give Porridge, the 70s classic, a chance on the stage.
This bright spark, Ed O’Driscoll, approached Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais who are, for anyone who doesn’t know, the brains behind the sitcom and pitched his idea. There was, according to Ed, "only one sticking point - they were adamant that they must write the piece themselves." And this comes across clearly throughout - the spirit of the original series is upheld and many of the jokes have been extracted from the show onto the stage.
However, this not a bad thing, oh no, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with reliving some of Porridge’s golden moments, especially when at the moment, let’s face it, most of us could do with a good cheering up.
The great Shaun Williamson stars as the iconic Fletch, an old hand at living behind bars, who takes his fair share of ups and downs, but mostly downs. His experience paid dividends and he was oh-so comfortable in this role, letting the rest of the cast come into their own. Daniel West plays Godber, Fletch’s prison-virgin cellmate, with quality and authenticity, while Nicholas Lumley and John Conroy perfectly combine to create the prison officers Mackay and Barrowclough.
The production was well staged and there was a certain something that just helped it flow along really naturally. The music played during scene changes was brilliant, from Bowie to the Rocky theme tune, adding to the show's appeal. For a fan of Porridge it’s a must, although I would also recommend it to anyone who fancies a good laugh and a good night out.
Showing at the New Theatre until Saturday.
