The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme recently won the Theatre Management Association’s award for Most Welcoming Theatre and right from my arrival here I found the staff and volunteers friendly and helpful, suggesting the award was well deserved. There’s Cask Ale on at the bar too – I could only have the one as I was driving, but it was very good. All in all I was in a happy mood even before I took my seat.
The “Eric Shows” have become an established and much-loved fixture at the New Vic. Eric Smith is the alter-ego of David Graham, actor, writer, director, producer and (as we find out later) pretty handy on the bass guitar. Eric is aided and abetted by his sidekick Gordon Bennett (David Lonsdale of Heartbeat and Coronation Street fame) and his on-off partner Bev (Laura Sheppard).
It’s 1969 and Eric and Gordon sign themselves up for the local amateur dramatic society’s production of Cinderella, more because they’ve heard a beautiful model is joining the cast than for any great love of treading the boards. Neville Henderson (Dan Graham) has joined for the same reason. Gordon recognises Nev: “Hi Nev, I haven’t seen you for about three years, what have you been doing?" “Three years”, comes the reply. Nev is reformed now, but is anxious that the lovely starlet, when she arrives, doesn’t find out about his spell inside. He isn’t the only one with a secret, as we shall see.
In matching beige duffle coats and identical Christmas pullovers Lilian (Verity Jones) and Leonard (Alan Howell) come across as dull and twee, but they are stalwarts of the company as is the director and would-be Mayor Major Roger Lovett-Standing (Jack Pinder, voice of the current TV commercial for Guide Dogs). The Major is a pompous old cad with an eye for the ladies, which explains why he has given himself the part of Prince Charming who gets to kiss Cinderella at the end.
Cinderella is to be played by Sue (Georgia Gagen, in her first professional outing) who has never been Miss World or Miss UK, to the disappointment of the lads, but did do some promotional work for a chocolate firm. She is a Scouser, which prompts a few slightly tired jokes about her (and my) native city. Nev is soon in love with her while the priapic Major simply wants to have his evil way - as he does with Bev, who has landed the part of the Fairy Godmother.
Rehearsals progress through the first half, during which we are treated to some great '60s music by the cast who move seamlessly between the play and the band. Jones’ powerful rendition of Kathy Kirby’s “Secret Love” is particularly memorable – even before we learn that Lilian has been having a secret affair for the last five years with (you’ve guessed!) Major Lovett-Standing.
As well as being the Ugly Sisters, Eric and Gordon are cast as the decorators Bodgett and Scarper; we see them rehearsing a sketch inspired by Laurel & Hardy’s 1928 silent masterpiece “The Finishing Touch”. This is hilarious and beautifully-timed, and the Major’s announcement that it is to be cut from the show gets the biggest boo of the night from the packed house.
Rehearsals over, act two brings us the opening night. It’s almost Christmas, the season of goodwill, everybody knows their lines, nothing can possibly go wrong…. (all together now) OH YES IT CAN!
Leonard and Lilian, now aware of each other’s secrets, insert bitchy ad libs into their performances as Baron Hardup and Evil Stepmother; Cinderella (Sue) is caught in the middle as the Major screams at them from off-stage to keep to the script. Eric and Gordon are hilarious as the ugliest Ugly Sisters you are ever likely to see. A cock-up in the props department means Cinderella’s transport to the Ball will have to be a supermarket trolley pulled by a flatulent pantomime horse… In the best traditions of panto, bawdy humour, slapstick and elements of farce abound, and the audience love it.
After the disastrous opening night, the cast retire to the pub where there’s a band on. That’s the cue for everyone to get up, dance and have a whale of a time. Many of the audience are clearly Eric devotees, the character having gained a cult following locally, and at the end the people behind me are talking about getting tickets for the next Eric Show – Eric’s Full Monty – in April.
Eric’s Christmas Pantomime is a joy from start to finish and wonderful fun. It’s definitely a show for adults rather than a family panto, and it’s on at the New Vic until December 14th.
Reviewer - Ian Simpson
on - 4/12/19
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