Yellowcoats at the ready as Littlehampton greets Hi-De-Hi

All those wonderful characters, including Peggy, Gladys, Ted and Spike will be brightening up the dismal summer with a sparkling look at holiday camp life in Stage-Door Theatre’s production.

And to further lift the gloom, actor David Griffin, who appeared in later Hi-De-Hi series as Sqn Ldr Clive Dempster, has sent the cast a message of luck for the play.

Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s television series has been adapted by Paul Carpenter and Ian Gower, and Stage-Door’s version will be directed by Micki Darbyshire.

The audience will be taken back to the 1950s and Maplins holiday camp, as founder Joe Maplin announces at the start of a new season that he is setting up a camp in the Bahamas and wants to recruit three female yellow coats to work there.

The annual Miss Yellowcoat competition will decide who is to go, prompting fierce rivalry between the girls, with Sylvia (Siobhan Healy) and Gladys (Fiona Humphrey) as joint favourites.

Meanwhile, camp cleaner Peggy (Karen Perry) is thrilled at the prospect of a vacancy for a new yellowcoat. She convinces entertainments manager Jeffrey Fairbrother (Jamie Griffiths) that she is an ideal candidate, but with many twists and comical turns along the way, will Peggy ever get her dream job?

And just what was Gladys doing in Jeffrey’s chalet?

The cast also includes Dave Humphrey, as Ted Bovis, Mark Barnes, as Spike Dixon, Nigel Peacock, as Mr Partridge, Nick Denton, as Barry Stuart-Hargreaves, Sara Spencer, as Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves, Stevie Bennett, as Hilary Bovis, Alan Moss, as Mr Pritchard, Batty Whistler, as Maddie Denby, Katie Sopp, as Betty Whistler, Kirsty Ferris, as Dawn, Garry Boniface, as the bailiff and Simon Bain, as the announcer.

Performances are at 7.30pm, Wednesday to Saturday, with a 2.30pm matinée on Saturday. Box office: 01903 722224.