‘Allo ‘Allo a riotous romp through Ravensbury’s Café René

The Ravensbury Players 'Allo 'Allo 2: The Camembert Caper

at Ramsbury Memorial Hall

from Thursday, March 20 to Saturday 22

Review by DRINA MACKAY

THE Ravensbury Players performed to a full house every night of their latest production; a side-splitting rendition of ’Allo ’Allo 2: The Camembert Caper, based on the original TV series written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.

The play, which ran for four performances, is a riotous farce packed with mistaken identities, clandestine meetings, and enough innuendo to make even the most seasoned theatregoer blush.

Director Chrissy Perkins perfectly captured the signature blend of slapstick, double entendre, and lovable buffoonery from the TV show.

The cast, a mix of seasoned Players and fresh faces, embraced their roles with infectious enthusiasm, bringing the eccentric characters to life with gusto.

Particular mention must go to David Mayer as René, perfectly portraying the beleaguered café owner’s exasperation.

Sue Burgess as Edith, delivered impeccable off-key singing; Penny Setter as Yvette and Samantha Wells as Mimi were wonderfully flirtatious and lively, while Catriona Patterson’s Michelle commanded the stage with her determined Resistance efforts.

Matthew Haynes as Crabtree had the audience in stitches with his gloriously mangled “Good Moaning” French.

The German officers, John Barker as Von Klinkerhoffen and Duncan McNeil as Von Strohm, portrayed their roles with zeal.

Mark Davies as Gruber added humorous touches to the character’s crush on René, and David Jackson as Geering closely mirrored the TV show’s character’s out-of-sync response to “Heil Hitler”.

Sam Olsen’s Herr Flick and Anna Olsen’s Helga brought plenty of laughs to their portrayals of the wonderfully horny Teutonic villains.

Nigel Crunden as Fairfax and Micheal Patterson as Carstairs superbly recreated the British airman’s characters’ spiffing mannerisms.

The entire ensemble, which also included humorous performances from Adrian Compton as Leclerc, John Cody as Alphonse and Gaye Adolph as Fanny, worked wonderfully together, creating a believable (albeit utterly ridiculous) atmosphere within the confines of Café René.

With hilarious set-pieces and a nostalgic appreciation for the TV show, this production proved that ’Allo ’Allo’s comedy is timeless.