Homage to Charles Hawtrey

[Rutherford]

Hello

This is at Warwick Arts Centre (Coventry) Thursday 19-Sat 21st Nov...I'll be there!

[CaptainWaggett]

Seems to be doing a mini-tour

[GRAEME]

Does this lady impersonate Charlie? Sounds facinating.



This is Amanda Lawrence I think - she does look like him!

[billy bentley]

Any reviews ?

[CaptainWaggett]

Does this lady impersonate Charlie? Sounds facinating.

This is Amanda Lawrence I think - she does look like him!

She was very good in the Kneehigh production of Brief Encounter and gave me a rock cake in the interval, which is something more actresses should do.

[GRAEME]

She was very good in the Kneehigh production of Brief Encounter and gave me a rock cake in the interval, which is something more actresses should do.

Was she playing the lady in the buffet?

[CaptainWaggett]

Was she playing the lady in the buffet?

She was and there were period refreshments being given away She did some excellent comic songs too.

[GRAEME]

Sounds good - I'm going to try and get to see her as Charlie at Warwick U.

[Mr Sloane]

She was and there were period refreshments being given away She did some excellent comic songs too.

I hope you did n't get it in your eye

[CaptainWaggett]

I hope you did n't get it in your eye

And sadly they had failed to keep a tin of Orange Pekoe for the middle classes

[Mr Sloane]

Seriously someone I work with went to see Brief Encounter in Leeds she said it was a superb piece of theatre.

[CaptainWaggett]

Seriously someone I work with went to see Brief Encounter in Leeds she said it was a superb piece of theatre.

It was fab - I wish they'd do something Gainsborough but they seem to have turned their hand to opera.

[Rutherford]

Saw a guy giving a homage to Kenneth Williams at The Fringe...excellent. Still got the latter's memoirs on my shelf to read - but I know it's going to be sad. Already had a few strange looks from colleagues on mentioning the Hawtrey homage: I work with a bunch of nutters :)

[GRAEME]

Went to see the play on Saturday. Amanda lawrence is uncannily close to Charley in all respects. She gives an energetic and challenging performance - playing all the parts in Hawtrey's life, sometimes conducting 3-way conversations jumping from one to the other and back again.



The show itself gives a series of connecting vignettes from Hawtrey's life from childhood through his early career on stage and in Will Hay films up to the Carry Ons and his sad lonely alcoholic end. It also chonicles his close relationship with his mum.



It's very much warts and all - with Hawtrey propositioning Naval Cadet band member outside his house with a cry of "Hello sailor, would ya like to blow my trumpet? Oh, you would..." His apparant obsession with being in drag seemed an invention of the play, but I really couldn't say. His diagnosis with gangrene and refusal to accept amputation is handled darkly in the manner of Carry On Doctor - with Jim Dale as the doc and Bab's as a nurse.



I could have done with more from Lawrence as Charley - talking directly to the audience. There was a lot of frenetic too-ing and fro-ing in time and place. But I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the era or the films.



The opening was priceless - with Charley greeting the representatives of a Carry On appreciation society on his doorstep with "F*** off, you tw*ts, leave me a lone, you c***s..." etc. Then stomping unsteadily off upstairs and turning to notice us, the audience. Suddenly he becomes the beatific Charley we all love: "Oh, helloooo..."

[billy bentley]

Thanks for the review Graeme. Hopefully Britmovie contributors can post information regarding more performances. There's no chance of it playing NYC I know, but I have friends in Blighty who would be most interested in seeing this show.