Allo 'Allo breaks comedy drought

2 days ago
2 min read

It’s been a while between drinks, as they say. You’d have to travel back to 2022 to find the last out-&-out comedy presented by Bairnsdale Production Line Theatre Company, but that dry spell is about to end, with the famous British comedy ‘Allo ‘Allo going into rehearsal in readiness for its October season at the Forge Theatre.

‘Allo ‘Allo is based on the British television comedy that ran for nine seasons on the BBC. The stage version, which borrows some of the most famous routines and catch-phrases of the original, has had audiences rolling in the aisles, with its zany plot and outrageous characters.

The Bairnsdale production brings together a large, talented cast of 20 actors, a balance of familiar and new faces. Now a month into rehearsals, they have already melded into a team, determined to bring to life the many characters and situations that made the original TV series such a huge hit.

For anyone who has never heard of the comedy, ‘Allo ‘Allo is set in wartime France, where an unlikely band of occupying Germans, French Resistance fighters, British airmen on the run, incompetent spies and just plain whacky townsfolk converge daily on the café of René and Edith Artois. Everyone has a dastardly plan of some kind, except for the hapless René, who just wants to survive the war in one piece and spend his days in peace. The war, and everyone in it, seem to conspire against him ever achieving his goal.

As leader of this band of unlikely – and hilarious – heroes and villains, René is played by actor David Cubley, who comes to ‘Allo ‘Allo with a long history of comedies and dramas behind him. Most recently he wowed East Gippsland audiences with his portrayal of Willie Loman, in the heart-wrenching classic American drama Death of A Salesman. To say that ‘Allo ‘Allo is a change of pace is a masterpiece of understatement.

“It’s one of those comedies that only the British can write”, said David, “but anyone can identify with and enjoy. It’s fast, witty, outrageous, even a little bit bawdy, but it’s all done with a sly wink and nod to the audience, so nobody ever gets offended.”

Testament to this is the fact that, despite its unflattering portrayal of German soldiers, the ‘Allo ‘Allo TV series was a huge hit in Germany, as well as many other countries around the world.

“Writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft created both the TV series and this stage version”, said David, “and in both they have managed to skewer all the traditional stereotypes: the Germans, French, British – everyone is gently sent up so that nobody feels left out!”