UK Theatre Network

The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Richmond Theatre on Tuesday 20^th October 2009

 

Published by: Tremayne (Potter)

 

‘Set in an imaginary “Caucasus”, the work has dominating male and female leads.  One is Grusha, a maid in the royal palace.  When the governor of Grusinia is killed by revolutionaries, and the royal son and heir, Michael, is abandoned by his luxury-loving mother, Grusha gathers the royal child in her arms and flees with it as her own’.  *(445:2002)

 

‘In The Caucasian Chalk Circle there is a scene in which Grusha has to walk across a small, unreliable bridge above a deep chasm.  This strikes me as a good metaphor for translating a play.  As he treads a narrow walkway, the translator looks down on one side and sees an arid landscape of fidelity, adored by academics but not much visited by ordinary folks.  On the other side, he sees below him the floodlit outlines of an egocentric ‘version’, bright, accessible and designed to draw attention to the translator rather than the play.’

(Alistair Beaton)

 

In the opening scene the musicians arrive.  The Singer (James Clyde) introduces us to story of The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

We instantly recognise Adjutant (Steven Meo), who also plays the Monk and Shawa, from the part he played in BBC3 series Grownups.

Simon (Peter Bankole) proposes to Grusha (Matti Houghton) with the words “I sincerely ask for your hand in marriage.”  She accepts.

He adds, “when the war is over, I’ll be back.”

Grusha bursts in to song on his departure, singing “I will wait for you under the green elm.”  The music could be described as Irish Folk.

The Governor’s Wife (Josephine Butler) flees on hearing of her husband’s murder, leaving baby Michael behind.  Grusha convinces herself she will leave him on his own but finds herself discussing it with the Cook (Clare Perkins) : “he looks at me like a human being.” Her response back is : “then don’t look back at him!”

The Chorus, with their oh so powerful voices, start up singing again  to continue narrating  the story: “She went for a last look at the child.  Just for a moment before leaving.  A town filled with fear..  For many hours she sat beside the child..  Picked up the child and carried it away.  Like a thief she slipped away.”

Grusha begins to question her decision: “What did I take on when I took you on?”, after paying out 2 pesetas for a mere drop of milk.

They stumble across an Inn where The Innkeeper (Christian Patterson) says to her and two upper class ladies, one played by Josephine Butler, the other by Clare Perkins: “just be thankful you’re not being thrown into shallow graves like thousands of others."  Clare Perkin’s character on realizing Grusha is a servant reacts in a rather Catherine Tate caricature-type way, saying “This woman has snuck in here”, branding her as a thief, purely because of her status in society.

The Sergeant (Nicolas Asbury) says to the character played by Steven Meo : “I was watching you dickhead.  Don’t think you’re heading for a promotion.”  At which point Steven Meo bursts into song. I am pleasantly surprised by how sweet and pure his voice is, with a natural trill in it.

The Sergeant continues with his verbal abuse: “How am I meant to find the Governor’s little bastard when I’ve got you for company?!”, ‘little bastard’ could be seen as a biblical reference.

Grusha leaves the baby on Farmer’s doorstep. The Chorus sing: “Why so happy to be heading home?  Why so sad?  ..because I’m free and single”, after she has unburdened herself of the bundle.  But then, she finds herself within the clutches of The Soldier. 

The Sergeant tries to intimidate her saying: “How to the hills.  How do you fasten your stockings?  ..to put it in military terms, I’d like to get a child out of you!” And as the missing child is mentioned, she runs for the hills. 

“Quick, hide him!”, says Grusha as she makes her way inside the Farmer’s house. 

The Farmer’s Wife (Claire Perkins) asks her: “why did you abandon your baby?  That’s a sin!”

The Sergeant tackles Grusha: “Why did you run away from me? ..to be frank, I could imagine quite a lot of things”, he says pervertedly.

An impressive physical theatre combat scene takes place between The Farmer’s Wife, The Sergeant and Grusha, where Grusha hits The Sergeant over the head with a spade.

Grusha sings: “Since no-one wants to have you (referring to baby Michael).  In this hungry.  You’ll have to make do with me.”  They manage to make it across to the other side of a precarious bridge and on to Laverto’s (Grusha’s brother’s) place.

Laverto’s wife (Josephine Butler) is less than welcoming.

Winter draws near and the bundle, whose face is never revealed to us, is transformed into a wooden doll-like puppet with the most piercing blue eyes, ironically matching those of Grusha.

Laverto finds his sister a father ‘on paper’ in the shape of Jussup (Nicholas Asbury), who is meant to be close to drawing his last breath.  By being given an official stamp Grusha’s and Michael’s lives will be made easier.

Grusha is overcome with emotion on hearing the war is over and the soldiers,including Simon, are set to return from Iran.  The man she married is still alive!

 

 

Experimental theatre is not generally to my taste, with hard-hitting subjects being mixed in with puppetry. For example severed heads were quite obviously made out of cushion-type material but as the pace picked up in Act II I warmed to it.

 In Act II Grusha (Matti Houghton) and Simon (Peter Bankole) meet again at the stream.

Grusha says:“winter was a bit grim.  ..I can never go back.., I hit someone..”, referring to the Sergeant (Nicholas Asbury) whom she hit and left for dead.

Simon instinctively says: “Is the young lady saying the soldier is too late?  Bring me back the cross I gave you (a symbol of their commitment to each another).  Better still, throw it in the stream.”

The play is brought up to date with its references to the current situation in Iraq.  It is ultimately a play about Justice and when Azdak (James Clyde), who also plays the Singer, or rather, the narrator says: “they fought over arms..”, he is referring to George Bush Jnr. Azdak’s character is played like a Hugh Laurie in Blackadder as he spouts forth the words: “you should be hung, by the neck and so forth and so forth.”

Act I having gone at a much slower pace, we rely heavily on James Clyde to draw us from out of this hole.

We learn the child is now 2.

Simon has come round to Grusha’s situation and makes this clear when he says: “I would like to swear to the woman that the child is mine.”

In Court Grusha fights to keep custody of Michael against his biological mother and says to the Judge (James Clyde): “I’ve brought him up to the best of my ability.  I’ve taught him the meaning of work.  Well, as much as I could, he’s still so small.”

The second Act, in my opinion, is of a much higher calibre, revelling in its Blackadder feel.

The Judge’s counter argument is: “I don’t see that the child’s yours.  ..don’t you want him to be rich?”, which he would be if he were allowed to live with his biological mother

The approach of the baby in puppet form is most thought-provoking and engaging  His movements are so fluid that the actors’ skills in puppetry are shown to be in fine tune.

Azdak insists he be placed inside a chalk circle and by the true strength of the mother she will be able to pull him out of it.

The first time the experiment is carried out, Michael’s biological mother is the one to make it possible but then the Judge overrules his decision and allows Grusha to bring up the child as her own.

And also, accidentally divorces her, supposedly, from her horrid husband, when it seems quite apparent that he wishes the very best for her and Simon, and for them to live happily ever after, without any extra baggage.

 

 

* Cited by John Fuegi in Brecht & co (Grove Press, 2002).

Colder Than Here

By Laura Wade

 

Venue:

The Courtyard Theatre, 40, Pitfield Street, London, N1 6EA.

www.thecourtyard.org.uk

 

Dates:

1^st September – 19^th September 2009-09

(Tues – Sat at 7.45 p.m.)

 

As Myra dictates the arrangements for her own funeral, her family get on with life’s little disasters: the boiler refuses to be fixed, the cat’s moved out of its own accord and Jenna, her daughter (the reluctant head of the burial site committee), has a long awaited epiphany.

 

‘Colder Than Here’ was first produced in the West End five years ago.  It has gone on to tour across America and is currently being adapted for the BBC.

 

Act I, Scene I opens on a picnic area where we are introduced to mother, Myra and her eldest daughter, Jenna.  After much small talk on Myra’s part, she suddenly comes out with: “do you think we should bury me here?!”  It is then that we establish, as an audience, that she does not have much time left.  Jenna moodily shakes off what has just been said, obviously not yet willing to accept it.

Although minimal props are used to create the idea of the characters being in a park, Jenna’s descriptive speeches help us to imagine the setting.

 

Scene II takes place in a lounge, where we are introduced to the youngest daughter, Harriet and, as Myra describes her scan, pools of emotion well up in her eyes.  Actress Clare Davenport (Harriet) does this most convincingly.  My only criticism of this scene would be the sightlines, which prevent us from seeing the mother’s reactions to her daughter’s distress.

Alec, the father, walks in at this point and is shortly followed by Jenna who is carrying a suitcase. Jenna awkwardly hugs her mother before taking her case upstairs.

During this scene we hear of Jenna’s cat who has decided to set up home elsewhere. Here I felt Jane Dodd’s (Jenna’s) movements were somewhat stiff, when they could have been less obviously thought about and just naturally fluid.

Myra persuades Jenna to take control of the powerpoint programme she has set up to show them how she would like her funeral proceedings to be carried out.  She tells her she will say “Jenna” whenever she wishes her to click on to the next page.

They are all baffled by the first image which appears to be more like that of a film director, her response is: “it doesn’t have a funeral director, it’s a first draft.”

The next page reads: ‘Cardboard coffin’.  Myra says: “you can order them ahead of time.” Alec, who is not amused, says: “that’s not the point!”

He walks off shortly afterwards, followed closely behind by Harriet.

 

Scene III: The two daughters in a probable funeral ground.  “If we see it about the place, we’ll get used to it” is Jenna’s positive take on the speedy delivery of their mother’s flat-pack cardboard coffin.

Jenna continues to speak saying “I felt like, I want my mummy, coming back after a shit day at work”, already beginning to imagine the void that will be left behind when their mother departs.

On hearing this Harriet picks her up, saying “and now mum’s disappearing, it’s not about your disaster”, becoming angry with Jenna and her selfishness over moving back home when their parents need to spend some quality moments together.

The subject is broken by a new topic.  Boyfriends.

Curious, Jenna enquires how long after she has had an argument with her boyfriend does she leave it till they make up, obviously relating it to the row she has just had with her own boyfriend.

“same day?” (Jenna, stunned)

“always.” (Harriet)

 

Scene IV.  Father kicks back to listen to Brahms.  His silence is soon broken when his youngest bursts into the room complaining how all the food is dying in the fridge.

Mother enters, awoken by the squeaky pipes.

Harriet tries to shock her over the state of the fridge by saying “There was bacteria in there” but she responds back positively with “Beautiful. Circle of life.”

When the father has left the room mother and daughter go through a keep/chuck process, sifting through all their old herbs.  Something I could relate to in my own family!

Harriet exits and Alec comes back into the room with a mended heater.  Myra, realizing she is cranky, says to him “Am I horrible?”, he responds with: “You’re ill.  Now, get out of the way!”

 

Scene V, Father and daughter Jenna meet at another prospective funeral ground. Myra has had a funny spell, so Alec takes her place that day.

“Well, it’s colder than the house!”, his reaction to resting place.

Not relevant to the play itself but I found the performance that was going on above us most disturbing!

Richard Woolnough, who plays Alec, plays the scene very naturally, particularly when the focus is shifted on to Jenna and her troubled relationship.

Jenna says “Dads aren’t supposed to like your boyfriends”, as she describes her boyfriend spending less and less time with her and more time with his new found college friends.

(Father continues with his crossword.)

“We don’t even have sex any more”, Jenna says, to which she gets a response back, “No need to tell me about that!” (from her father, whose physical relationship with his wife we can assume is now non-existent).

“..don’t do problems”,is a mumbling, realistic response back when you think that most conversations like this are held between a mother and daughter.

The haunting music that runs throughout the play at the end of each scene, although pretty, is beginning to get on my nerves by now!

 

The final scene of Act I, the 2 sisters are sitting in the lounge room in front of the cardboard coffin.

“It looks big”, says Jenna.

“Sometimes fat people die!” (Harriet)

Harriet, not able to handle the situation, exits as father enters and reacts to coffin by saying “well, that’s it then? Do the more expensive ones look less like a cardboard box?!”

“It won’t do once we’ve drawn on it” (Jenna replies).

 

(Father goes to fetch mother as the daughters continue to draw.)

They chuckle together when Jenna comes out with: “My clouds look like turds.”

“I’d have learnt how to draw if I’d have known.” (Harriet)

Jenna intrigued to know what it is like inside a coffin, lies down inside it, quickly jumping out as she hears her mother’s footsteps creeping up upon her and saying to Harriet “This didn’t happen..”

“It doesn’t look how I expected.” (Myra)

She continues to speak: “I’d like to be buried on my side.. ..like I’m sleeping.”

Her reasoning behind it explained when she says: “I think I’ll be scared of the earth coming down on me.”

“Oh would one of you, for a change, know what to do?”, frustrated by their apparent lack of input.

 

Act II, Scene I includes the 2 sisters at burial ground.

They are considering the irony underlying the cardboard coffin.

“.. I walk in and she’s sitting in the coffin watching Have I got news for you, laughing..” (Harriet)

Distraction once more from the performance upstairs, argh!

When they are both sitting Jenna informs Harriet: “I finished with Mark, when I realized I didn’t want him at the funeral.”

(They get up to go, exit laughing, having somehow been brought closer together by the news.)

 

Scene II has to be my favourite scene in the entire play for its emotional warmth.  Alec, the father, is on the phone to the electricity board, who have left them without heating for 5+ months.

“Can I call you mate, I feel we know each other well?..

 ..Good God, it’s no wonder you’re not worried about my problems when you’re in Glasgow!”

“..You actually don’t have the power to do anything.”

“I tell you my wife’s dying.  No, it’s not your problem” (the person on the other end of the line concerned they may be held liable.)

He continues “The very least you can do is to let her die in the warm.”

(The wife enters the room.)

She remarks “I’m going off baths. Too much thinking time.”

 Then she makes it clear she has something important to discuss with him.

“You might meet someone else..”, she says.

She continues with her spiel, despite his reluctance for her to do so.  “You might hold back.  And I don’t want that for you..

..You’re not expecting it now.  You might fall in love.”

(Alec gets up from his chair.)

“You should switch to paper hankies.  Women don’t like those”, she says as he puts his handkerchief back in his pocket.)

“The funeral isn’t for you..”, he says.  “.. people need something to do..”, allowing himself to get more upset and thumping himself down on the couch beside her.

(They snuggle up close.)

“..weeks left..”, she says, trying to ease his pain.

“..lots more awkward talks”, after he admits he is only human and does cry.

Myra resists being helped to bed, preferring to continue to snuggle up and decides she wants to sleep in his room tonight, using the excuse of it being tidier than her’s.

 

The Final Scene, Jenna with her mother in yet another burial ground or is it the same one as before?! Ending is in a similar space to where the play first started.

“Should have died last Thursday, as it’d got to 6 months”, the mother says.

“It’s easier to be open in summer.”(Myra, referring to the time of year her funeral is likely to fall.)

“..I don’t know if we’ll do it without you, sorry”, Jenna concerned that the family may not be able to express their emotions in public.

The mother spots one of Muggins’ (Jenna’s cat’s) hairs on her top and tells her to make a wish as she blows it away, even though a wish is normally made on an eyelash.

Jenna speaks of her new boyfriend who isn’t ‘a wanker’.

What is lovely about this scene is the dialogue between mother and daughter which had always been a bit of an issue before.

She is hardly able to restrain herself from sharing her sexual experiences with her but realizes that her mother is in need of her tablets and that she must quickly nip back and get them before she continues her story. As she goes she ironically says: “Try not to die.  I haven’t finished telling you”.  Myra lies back, finding a comfortable position, falling into a deep, deep sleep, from which we know she will not this time wake up.

 

I was surprised to see the play end quite so soon in to the second half. Having said this, it did seem an appropriate place to. We had seen the eldest daughter, Jenna, come to terms with her mother’s imminent death and find solace in her new found love. I feel it  would have just been rather nice to have also seen what happened with the youngest daughter, Harriet.  If a little irritating, perhaps this was truer to life where not everything is always resolved.

However, this bears no reflection on the acting. I think it fair to say that Lily Ann Green (Myra) and Richard Woolnough (Alec) come across as the actors with the most experience behind them, including that of life. This is reflected in their natural, effortless and true to life performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                

Steve Burbridge In Conversation With . . . Catherine Porter

Catherine Porter’s diverse career has included leading roles on West End, Broadway and worldwide theatre stages with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Crawford, John Barrowman and Michael Ball to recording and touring with rock legends Queen. Her latest album, Gems For Ruby, is a collection of songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s that is dedicated to her three-year-old daughter, Ruby.

 

Gems For Ruby is a stunning collection of cover versions that are a gift for your daughter. What inspired you to record the album?

Following the birth of my daughter, and having had to be a full-time Mom for a while, I wanted to do something creative again. I also wanted Ruby to hear songs that I loved, but in a way that I heard music when I was her age. When I was three, my parents used to play Julie London and Doris Day and my grandparents were Italian so we would have Italian arias being played and ballads by Mario Lanza, so I developed a fondness for a ballad with lots of strings. I thought it would be fun to take some songs from the 70s and 80s that I’ve always loved and turned them on their sides. It was very risky and we had a lot of nerve but people will see that I’m not making fun of the songs, that I’m kind of reinventing them and giving an opportunity for the lyrics to be heard in a different way.

You must have been thrilled to perform a Queen song (Somebody To Love) with accompaniment on the guitar from Brian May?

I worked with Brian years ago on his ‘Back To The Light’ tour and we’ve remained friends ever since. When I told him I was doing this we played the track to him and the opportunity arose to invite him to play on it, which he did. That made the album all the more personal for me.

Was it difficult choosing only eleven tracks and how did you decide which to include and which to leave out?

It was really hard. We went through – I don’t even know – thousands of songs during the two year process. I was dying to include a Stevie Wonder song but it didn’t work out, which was disappointing and there were songs that I knew had to be included such as ‘More Today Than Yesterday.’ The guys came up with ideas and I came up with ideas and we finally came down to these eleven.

You’ve recently completed a series of gigs at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s club. Tell me about that?

That was fantastic! The album was studio-recorded, so performing there was my first chance to sing the songs live. I played with some real hot, talented musicians and it was very well received.

Are you now concentrating solely on your recording career or would you like to do more musical theatre?

I wanna keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve always gone back and forth between recording, concerts and theatre and I enjoy that.

Who are your biggest influences?

At the moment, my daughter. I am inspired in various ways by different people. I have to say that Brian May is an inspiration and when I was touring with him I learned an awful lot. I was inspired by Petula Clark and I absolutely adore her as a performer and a human being. For being such a legend, she has no airs and graces, whatsoever. Musically, there are hundreds – Ricky Lee Jones, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Elaine Paige to name only a few!

Who would you most like to sing a duet with?

That’s a toss-up between Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman.

What has been the proudest moment of your career, so far?

I think, probably, this album. But, you know, I feel proud of everything that I do.

Easy listening music seems to be enjoying a renaissance at present. Why do you think this is?

Oh, people are very stressed! I think easy listening helps them to calm down and chill out.

 

Gems For Ruby by Catherine Porter was released on 30^th March 2009 on the Swing Cafe Label. Distributed by NOVA via Universal Music Operations Limited.

Inside this update
- Sky/Wrist/Network
- Doug’s Radio Blog
- Oscar Predictions
- Walk Along The Red Carpet
- Sky News Feature
- UK Theatre Reviews
- Facebook/Twitter Links




Hope you had a good week. I was contacted at the last minute this week to appear on Sky News. It all went very smoothly and you can see my nice blue plastercast on screen. It’s off now, and my wrist is slowly starting to heal. I have started typing again with two hands with this newsletter. Slowly but surely does it. 

It’s nice to see the social networks starting to get a few hundred people posting, blogging and connecting on theatre and film. If you haven’t already, take a couple of minutes to join, it’s simple and quick.

http://www.ukfilm.tv
http://www.uktheatre.tv


Have a great week ahead.

Douglas McFarlane

>>>>>

Tune In to Doug’s Radio Blog at 12 noon on Saturday’s. 

This week’s show includes David Bowie, George Michael, Simon And Garfunkel, Kraftwerk and Savage Garden.
http://www.nevisradio.co.uk

>>>>>

Oscar Predictions

Here are my predictions for tomorrow night’s Oscar’s with a link to all the nominees and printouts for you to make your own choices. I’ve also included a link to a bit of film footage I took in 2007 to share the experience of walking along the red carpet with you. I choose not to go this year for a change, but I’m keeping in touch via twitter as Jon Gripton, who introduced me to Sky News in October 2007 and who I subsequently bumped into on the red carpet last year. His tweeter id is listed at the bottom with some other tweeters for you to follow.


Actor In A Leading Role - Brad Pitt

Actor In A Supporting Role - Heath Ledger

Actress In A Leading Role - Kate Winslet

Actress In A Supporting Role - Penelope Cruz

Best Documentary Feature - Trouble The Water

Directing - Danny Boyle/Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button


http://www.oscar.com/nominees



Walk Along The Red Carpet

A short walk I took along the red carpet at the Oscars 2007 in order to share the experience. A section of this footage is used in the film Making It In Hollywood, currently being submitted to film festivals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFeBMgkbKH4


>>>>>


Sky News Feature

Top Web Stories: A YouTube Symphony, Friends Reunited Try To Meet Buyer And More Popular Internet News
In this edition of Sky.com Movers Douglas McFarlane from uktheatre.net introduces a woman caught on camera having a tantrum at a Thai airport, a YouTube symphony and more popular stories from the internet.

http://tinyurl.com/cqgpdg


>>>>>


Regional Premiere of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll at Manchester Library Theatre

Rock ‘n’ Roll
Library Theatre, Manchester
17 February 2009

Abba has Mamma Mia; Queen has We Will Rock You; Madness has Our House; now Pink Floyd has Rock ‘n’ Roll, a jukebox musical which weaves the band’s greatest hits into a narrative about The Prague Spring and the eventual collapse of Communism in 1990.

http://www.uktheatre.tv/magazine/read/regional-premiere-of-tom-stoppardand39;s-rock-and39;nand39;-roll-at-manchester-library-theatre_35.html




The Last Resort
The Customs House, South Shields, Tyne & Wear
Strangeface Theatre’s production, The Last Resort, is an interesting concept that combines actors wearing half-masks, puppetry, original music and songs to tell the folk-tale of a remote town on the brink of ruin.

http://www.uktheatre.tv/magazine/read/the-last-resort_34.html



Cabaret
UK National Tour – Reviewed at Darlington Civic Theatre
Berlin 1930: The Kit Kat club is a place of decadent and flirtatious celebration, presided over by a sinister Emcee (Wayne Sleep). Sally Bowles (Samantha Barks) is a young British singer who performs there. Cliff Bradshaw (Henry Luxemburg) is an American writer who arrives in Berlin with the hope of finding inspiration to complete his latest novel.


http://www.uktheatre.tv/magazine/read/cabaret_33.html


>>>>>


TWITTERS

Jonathan Ross
http://twitter.com/Wossy

Stephen Fry
http://twitter.com/stephenfry

Fearne Cotton
http://twitter.com/Fearnecotton

Jon Gripton, reporter for Sky News, at the Oscars
http://twitter.com/JonGrip

Sara Bareilles
http://twitter.com/sarabareilles

Barack Obama
http://twitter.com/BarackObama

My twittering link
http://www.twitter.com/ukfilm

>>>>>

FACEBOOK GROUPS

Making It In Hollywood – Documentary film project currently submitting to Film Festivals
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2434134276&ref=ts

UK Film Network – Social networking for filmmakers and their audience
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2475992114&ref=ts

UK Theatre Network – Social networking for theatre performers and their audience
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3122300275&ref=ts

The Big Picture – Feature film project currently in script selection
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26318483196&ref=ts

The Time Project – Documentary film project currently in pre-production
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47590808842&ref=ts

 

Barry Cryer – Still Alive

National Tour

Reviewed at The Customs House, South Shields

The legendary Barry Cryer was rapturously welcomed back to The Customs House, South Shields, last night to perform his brand new show, Still Alive. The promotional material promised ‘a decorous orgy of nostalgia’ and that is exactly what was delivered.

Mr Cryer, a brilliant raconteur, shared a host of fascinating and entertaining anecdotes in an intimate, conversational style which I would have been blissfully content to listen to for the full duration of the show. It was an absolute treat to hear stories about the British comedy greats, including Morecambe & Wise, Arthur Askey, Tommy Cooper and Bernie Winters to name only a few.

But, Mr Cryer is a man of many talents and he used them to the full.

In an age where stand-up comedians resort to spouting a stream of profanities to generate laughs, Barry needs only his razor-sharp wit to have the audience in stitches. His jokes were clever, original and extremely funny. His comic-timing is impeccable and looked effortless. Indeed, age does not seem to have dimmed his talent for comedy at all. He looks a very spritely 73 and the glint in his eye seems to be getting brighter.

His material is contemporary and topical; no-one is safe from his scrutiny, not even Hillary Clinton, Heather Mills or Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The refreshing thing is that Mr Cryer succeeds in being satirical without being needlessly cruel or personal. Here is a true gentleman who has the audience firmly in the palm of his hand.

Interspersed with the comedy and the reminiscing were some very entertaining songs. Whilst poking fun at Cliff Richard’s Millennium Prayer (The Lord’s Prayer set to the music of Auld Lang Syne, for those who don’t know!), Barry delivered Amazing Grace to the tune of House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals. Fantastic!

The musical highlight for me, though, was a contemporary version of Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It, which was absolutely amazing. So clever!

Barry was supported, on the piano, by the renowned Musical Director Colin Sell who also performed a couple of numbers. My favourite, Why Do The Wrong People Sing?, lamented the fact that, all too often, those who think they that they are musically gifted are tone deaf.

The sign of a good comedian (apart from being able to make people laugh, of course!) is the ability to laugh at themselves, and Mr Cryer certainly does not shy away from sending himself up. When talking about his own mortality he mused that, ‘These days, I don’t even buy green bananas’ in case he dies before they ripen!

My message to the wonderful Mr Barry Cryer OBE would be: ‘Go and buy some green bananas . . . you’ll be around for a long while yet!

Steve Burbridge.