THEATRE
****

October 16^th 1964, the boys dressing room of the Victoria Palace Theatre, London’s west end, Harold Wilson has just won the general election taking the Labour party into power then Mostyn Thomas switches off the radio it’s time to get ready for the evening performance of the Black and White minstrel show. So begins this exciting, warm and funny play from Paul Haley.

We all know what happened in the years since the Minstrels were deemed racist and removed from TV but at one time the show was massively popular and indeed the stage show ran for ten years between 1962 and 1972 at the Victoria, it’s here we meet Mostyn the head boy of the company played with revelry by John Griffiths, the half has just been called and it’s time to start blacking up for the show. As a veteran of many a dressing room the capturing of back stage politics is flawless added to this is the fact the troupe have been invited to perform with the Beatles at the 1964 royal command performance but not all the performers will appear before her maj, cue backstage in fighting to hilarious effect. The small company play the roles with conviction and completely bring to life a time with a lot less political correctness than now.

Peter Whitfield excels as Roy, the union official who is getting older and fatter and deemed unsuitable for the queen. Wide boys Merv the Aussie played to perfection by Will Chitty and Dave played by the gorgeous Tommy O’Neill who has a body to drool over! Completing the line-up is Marc small as Pyrex the boys dresser and the head girl of the Wendy played by Sarah Redmond. The show is extra special with addition of well know drag artist Dave Lynn playing the role of Big Mary, the minstrels resident drag queen who misses out performing for a bigger queen than him. It’s so refreshing to watch Dave out his trade mark wig and glam frocks showing just how brilliant an actor he is!

The show is actually 30 minutes shorter than advertised and feels just right, so if you want a lunch time comedy play that brilliant marks a time so different from now then you won’t be disappointed with this show.