Benidorm Live Review

Sheffield Lyceum – until Saturday 26 January 2019

Reviewed by Lottie Davis Browne

4****

“Oh this year (Sheffield) is off to sunny Spain – Y viva Espana!” Snow might be forecast for parts of Sheffield but for one week only at Sheffields’ Lyceum Theatre the sun is shining, the sangria’s are free flowing at Neptune’s Bar, in this all-inclusive brash live screen-to-stage comedy of the hit TV show Benidorm.

For those of you not familiar with the television series, the stories are set (with regularly returning tourists) in a budget all-inclusive Spanish resort – a popular with British tourists who love value-for-money, pie and peas and a pint, karaoke, a perm or silver highlights at Blow and Go Salon and of course the hot weather.

Middle-class couple Ben (Bradley Clarkson) and Sophie (Tricia Adele-Turner) have booked a luxury holiday in Altea – however due to an apparent over booking by the hotel, they are instead sent to the sister-hotel – the Solona in budget loving Benidorm – a 4 turned 3 (or should that be 3 and a half??) star hotel with equally 3 star guests. When they are mistaken as being undercover hotel inspectors, the Solana staff – spurred on by the ever bossy Joyce Temple-Savage (Sherrie Hewson) go out of their way to make the couple feel welcome. Throw in a gay Swinger friend of Jacqueline’s (panto dame regular Damian Williams) – who is smitten with Blow and Go’s Kenneth (Tony Maudsley) and you’ve got pure comedy gold. I personally adored Williams in this role – should Benidorm ever make a return to the television screen, Williams definitely needs to reprise this role!

Six of the television series regular characters make up the bulk of the cast (characters such as the raunchy swinger Jacqueline, Blow and Go’s Liam and Kenneth and womanising barman Mateo) which, for someone who has watched the show from the start of series two (quickly catching up on series one beforehand), was reassuring to see the much loved characters brought to life on stage. I thought Jacqueline (Janine Duvitski) was hilarious on television but oh my goodness her character is even more outrageous live! My sides were splitting as tears of laughter rolled down my face. Adam Gillen brings a certain element of naiveness and admiration to the stage and his character as the lovable Liam, who is totally devoted to his prisoner dad (Lesley – the cross dresser), whilst his dad appears to be having a rare old time in the open prison and has made a new “friend” – Liam is missing his dad and eager for his return to Benidorm.

The plot is not a new storyline as such – a similar – if not identical – storyline has already been done in one of the earlier series (possibly series one?) – therefore I had already guessed the outcome within the first five minutes of the show starting, however this did not take away my enjoyment in anyway shape or form. The live production is as laugh out loud and crude (that Jacqueline is a saucy one!) as the television programme, however by watching it live the humour intensifies 100%

Mark Walters clever set design recreates the Solana hotel perfectly – along with salon Blow and Go and Neptunes bar. Shelley Longworth shows her true star qualities in Act Two as part of the karaoke at Neptunes bar with a knockout rendition of Faith Hills’ “There You’ll Be”. However the show stealer for me has to be Damian Williams as the loveable and hilarious “Gay Derek”.

At just under two hours running time (including an interval), Benidorm Live is a refreshing escape from the cold and depressing January “Brexit Blues” – and reminds us that nobody does comedy like us Brits! So grab your passport for the perfect post Christmas escape and get your tickets to see this must see performance!