Musicals - Radio Times

On Friday 23rd November, we headed to High Wycombe after school to see Radio Times.  This was something Mum had seen in Malvern and I had missed in Oxford but Mum had looked up for me for where I could see it again.  I hadn't heard of it before but it is another Noel Gay musical like Me and My Girl and this production had been produced by Alexander Armitage with some help from his daughter (Lizzie's friend) and this one also starred Gary Wilmot.

The Wycombe Swan Theatre was a lovely venue (I'd been once before to see a Matthew Bourne dance thing - not my cup of tea) and we enjoyed a meal at the theatre beforehand.  While we were eating, that nights ushers started to arrive and were collecting war time helmets and arm bands before taking up their positions.  

The theatre was again depressive in it's emptiness.  It seemed each person had an entire row to themselves and it was a huge theatre.  I did feel sorry for the cast but they put on a great show and Gary mentioned at the ending about something to do with being grateful we were there.  It was a good set, a radio studio theatre, but mainly instruments and props.  About 10 mins before the start a man walked on and rested his head on the piano and put a jacket over his head and then I was still surprised when the show opened and characters walked on stage and he 'woke up' surprising them and us! It was a fun storyline about producing the slightly risque radio show in war time and during an air raid.  My absolute favourite number involved ukuleles and it was such a surprise as more and more of the cast starting playing them picking them out of things on stage - very clever!

Just found this trailer on youtube which I think is great!  The ukulele bit is there and it reminded me that I quite liked the run rabbit run number and that we all went away singing the 'polishing the sun' number - definite pleaser.  There is also a snapshot of the sound guy and it was really funny when he did all the sound effects!

Thanks all for a good show!