THE PROGRAMME which the audience purchases for this production is called A Visitor's Guide to HM Prison Slade, so it should come as no real surprise when, in the opening moments, a voiceover announces "keep your nose clean and your head down" that you are going to be doing 'bird' there, at Her Majesty's pleasure, for the next two hours!
But what pleasure this turns out to be.
Calibre Productions, who successfully brought television's Dad's Army to the stage, now repeat this coup with Porridge, the much-loved TV comedy forever associated with Ronnie Barker, incomparable as the old lag, Norman Stanley Fletcher.
This new pr
oduction, sensitively directed by Gavin McAlinden and stunningly designed by Paul Wills, also has the bonus of a script from the pens of the show's original writers, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
Together they manage to seamlessly include several of the small screen's most notable episodes – the prisoners' initial documentation, the boxing match, Christmas carols sung to disguise the noise of an attempted escape and skullduggery whilst stealing a warder's bicycle – to provide not only happy memories but also hilariously amusing theatre.
With enlightened casting in all fifteen roles, including Shaun Williamson (aka Barry in EastEnders), outstanding as scheming arch-con Fletcher, Daniel West as his young first-offender cellmate, Godber, and other easily recognizable mis-fits, old-timer Blanco (Richard Tate), gormless Warren (Haydn Oakley), the prison's 'baron' Grout (Peter Alexander), his minder Crusher (Matt Weyland), and stroppy Scotsman McLaren (Ryan Winston), each actor manages to entertain as convincingly as their prototypes.
The same applies to Nicholas Lumley's masterly portrayal of the hard-nosed, ever-suspicious 'screw' Mr MacKay, and John Conroy as long-suffering, put-upon Mr Barrowclough.
Claire Andreadis as Ingrid, Fletcher's curvaceous daughter, injects saucy humour into the shenanigans of visiting time.
This second helping of Porridge is the ideal winter warmer.
