www.southenddrama.co.uk

Blackadder

Author: Ben Elton and Richard Curtis

Director: Kay Banning

Production: 24- 26 July 2003

Theatre: The Focus Theatre, Southend

"Potato" from Blackadder II, "Ink and Incapability" from Blackadder the Third and "Major Star" from Blackadder Goes Forth are adapted for the stage, while maintaining a close resemblance to the televison originals. All three episodes are performed back-to-back, each and every night. An evening of first-class comedy for your viewing pleasure!

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"I thought it was fantastic, so did all my mates. It was excellent. Went down the pub afterwards and we were re-enacting it all night. Really well done!!! Slug... brilliant!!! My cheeks were hurting when I left!! Honestly, the best £7 ever spent!!!"

"Good show old boy. Thoroughly enjoyed the evening and all the parts were played really well. Nice one!"

"Last night was fab. I *really* enjoyed myself."

"Most entertaining evening - particularly watching the cast struggle with their moustaches in the final episode - oh and then Bob having to tell his audience to cheer when he came off stage!! Am Dram at its best!!"

A dead slug for a moustache, a work of literary genius feeding a fire and a sea captain who prefers to circle the Isle of Wight rather than explore new lands.

It can only mean one thing - Blackadder's in town.

Southend Drama Society premiered their amateur stage version of episodes of the TV comedy classic at the Focus Youth Theatre, Southend, last Thursday.

The project has been something of a labour of love for society chairman Rick Fiore, and his enthusiasm for the production was evident when he took the role of Blackadder in the first two episodes - Potato and Ink and Incapability.

He managed to capture the tone, facial expression and deadpan delivery of Rowan Atkinson's character perfectly.

However, it was by no means a one-man show and there was no faulting the rest of the cast's commitment.

They all seemed to know the scripts inside out and worked hard to capture it exactly as it was on screen.

Without the help of editing, things were always going to move slower than the television version, but clever sets and use of lighting helped move things along at a comfortable pace.

The costume designers Kay Banning and Chloe Baum also deserve a mention for all their hard work and accurate results.

Converting such a well-established programme from the screen to the stage was certainly a challenge for the actors, but one they can confidently say they rose to.

- Kate Eshmade, The Evening Echo