Antiques the Musical! is the all-singing all-dancing fully overalled stage version of the beloved TV spoof. Acorn Antiques – The Musical
All ye who bow at the feet of Mrs Overall and her macaroons, give praise that
Victoria Wood has written this operatic masterpiece.
Directed by
Trevor Nunn, starring
Julie Walters (apart from Bingo nights, when Victoria Wood takes the stage),
Neil Morrissey and
Josie Lawrence, this is definitely one for those who are no strangers to wrinkled tights.
I love the fact that Trevor Nunn’s other contributions to be found on the Blockbuster website include:
Merchant of Venice,
Twelfth Night and
Orthello.
Ms Wood is an absolute genius and this show does not disappoint.
Where else but in Manchesterford will you find the need for a “Lemon and Lard gusset freshener” or hear the horrified cry, “Macaroons is for the gentry!”
You even get an extra feature to watch a karaoke version of the show, surely a must for every amateur operatic society’s Christmas party up and down the country?
The first half of the show sees the cast preparing to perform a new musical based on the best loved soap – Acorn Antiques, but with an earnest, inexperienced Director – Neil Morrissey of
Men Behaving Badly fame.
Chaos ensues with dying dogs, lottery tickets, lame galore, barmy musical plots and of course, yellow rubber gloves.
And it all began with a cake of soap, painted on condoms (it was war-time) and a very nasty accident.
Julie Walters forgets all the steps she learnt for
Billy Elliot, as Mrs Overall takes the stage to sing a warning about drink, drugs and sex, having already uttered the immortal line “ooh that coffee’s bitter, maybe I should give up on your dad’s pants and get a caffetiere”.
Neil Morrissey also plays “I don’t do Carbs” Toni in the second half of the musical and has to agree that “There is nothing more irresistible than the smell of a mature woman’s macaroon.”
Josie Lawrence, released from providing vocals on the children’s series
Dawdle the Donkey, positively revels in a black country accent during the first half of the show and glories in evil during the second half.
But the true stars of any Acorn Antiques extravaganza have to be Babs, Celia Imrie; Mr Clifford, Duncan Preston; Miss Berta – here played wonderfully by Sally Ann Triplett; and the exquisitely wobbly sets, early ringing telephones and missed cues that fans will lap up.
Will Mr Clifford regain his memory and remember he is in fact secretly engaged to Miss Berta. Will Babs ever find true lust? And will Mrs Overall ever reveal the truth about her Cocoa?
Enjoy, Enjoy.