Review Last of the Summer Wine "The Moonbather"

Review Last of the Summer Wine "The Moonbather", Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne.

Summer weather not living up to expectation? Try a little Moonbathing.

An evening of gentle humour, with more than a little slapstick, will certainly take your mind off the vagaries of the weather.

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Roy Clarke, who wrote the series for TV, has written this stage play giving the ageing delinquents, Foggy (John Pennington), Compo (Harry Dickman), Clegg (Timothy Kightley), the opportunity to portray the full range of their abilities as Foggy tries to woo librarian Samantha (Gillian Axtell) from her fianc of 14 years Special Constable Gifford Bewmont (Steven Pinder).

Ruth Madoc takes a lead as Samantha's sister Meg as Foggy's special supper for the two women degenerates to farce.

The cast is completed with Nora Batty (Estelle Collins), husband Wally (Ian Marr) and the mysterious Mr Pilbeam (Tony Adams). Howard and Marina also make a brief appearance.

The action is, as usual, set in Holmfirth, but they are troubled with a streaker who comes out at full moon. Who is he? Will he be caught? What is his addiction to moonbathing?

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All eventually becomes clear in yet another excellent Eastbourne Theatres production, directed by Chris Jordan.

The stage set switches effortlessly between the countryside around Holmfirth and Norman Clegg's house, with skilful lighting effects. Even the stream outside Compo and Nora's houses is recreated and brought into use as a means for moving around the village.

The costumes are as you will remember from the TV series, but perhaps Nora Batty's stockings are not as wrinkly as they were, and production is introduced by that haunting, well known, signature tune.

Performances continue until August 8th.

Review written by John Walder.

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