ROUND THE HORNE… REVISITEDRETURNS TO THE LOWRY WITH ABRAND NEW CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Written by Barry Took, Marty Feldman, Johnnie Mortimer & Brian Cooke
Adapted for the stage by Brian Cooke
Directed by Michael Kingsbury
The Lowry, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, Tue 13 – Fri 23 December Press Night - Tue 13 December
Following its huge success at The Lowry last Christmas, Round The Horne…Revisited returns to Salford Quays with a second brand new Christmas special. Presenting two more live episodes of the legendary radio series with new and previously unheard material, this Christmas Special features more hilarious antics from favourite characters such as Julian and Sandy, J. Peasmold Gruntfuttock, and Rambling Syd Rumpo. Offering audiences a great festive alternative to the traditional panto experience, the show opens at The Lowry on Tuesday 13 December, and runs until Friday 23 December.
Round the Horne was a Sunday afternoon must from its first broadcast in 1965, until its final airing in 1969. At its peak, the cult show attracted an audience of 15 million. Straight man Kenneth Horne was at the helm of the mad-cap bunch – Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Douglas Smith. They mercilessly sent up the establishment through a combination of wild word play, innuendo, and surreal literary inventiveness. One of the most popular comedies of the era, it has lost none of its appeal, with recordings still selling in their hundreds of thousands.
Round The Horne…Revisited is adapted for the stage by Brian Cooke, the last remaining writer from the original Round The Horne quartet, and one of this country’s most successful comedy writers, for both radio and television. His creative partnership with Johnnie Mortimer helped create radio shows such as Round the Horne and Men From The Ministry; and some of the nations best-loved television comedies, Man About the House; George and Mildred; Robin’s Nest; Tom, Dick and Harriet; Let There be Love and Full House. Cooke also created and wrote shows for such comedy legends as Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Marty Feldman and Bruce Forsyth. He has worked extensively in television in America, Canada and Australia.
This year, the Round The Horne…Revisited Christmas Special re-unites original West End cast members Robin Sebastian as Kenneth Williams and Charles Armstrong as Douglas Smith, with Stephen Critchlow returning to The Lowry stage as Kenneth Horne, David Rumelle as Hugh Paddick, and Julia Webber as Betty Marsden.
Directed by Michael Kingsbury, with Design by Liz Cooke, Lighting Design by Tony Simpson and Original Music and Sound Design by Rod Anderson, Round The Horne… Revisited 2 is produced by Joabri Productions Ltd.
Signed Performance - Saturday 17 December, 2.30pm.
Posted on Thursday, 17 November 2005 under Press Theatre Press