PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 18TH MAY 2024
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
4****
The award-winning satirical comedy ‘Drop the Dead Donkey‘ that ran over 6 series from 1990 – 1998 has been reimagined for a 2024 audience in the stage play ‘Drop the Dead Donkey: The Reawakening!‘ Being old enough to remember the original show, I attended with my fellow Gen X friend who was eagerly anticipating the play for a dose of nostalgia. It certainly lived up to our expectations.
The stage production in 2024 brings back some familiar faces from the iconic TV show. The cast includes Stephen Tompkinson as Damien, Neil Pearson as Dave, Susannah Doyle as Joy, Robert Duncan as Gus, Ingrid Lacey as Helen, Jeff Rawle as George, and Victoria Wicks as Sally. Joining them are two new characters, Julia Hills as Mairead and Riya Rajeev as Rita, who both adeptly take on the challenge of joining this established group of characters. Sadly, two former cast members, David Swift who played Henry and Haydn Gwynne who portrayed Alex, have passed away and were respectfully remembered during the show. The production is directed by Derek Bond and written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, the creators of the original hit Channel 4 comedy series that won BAFTA and EMMY awards.
Without revealing too many details of the plot, the new adaptation takes us back to the characters thirty years later. They are now starting a new 24-hour television news channel called Truth News in the ever-evolving world of modern broadcasting. The play begins in a high-tech, twenty first century news studio, brilliantly designed by Peter McKintosh, with nostalgic clips from the original TV series shown on a screen above the stage. The screen is cleverly used to showcase the public’s social media reactions to the failed launch of the news channel. This launch results in a national treasure’s reputation being damaged and a beloved newsreader being injured live on air.
Without a doubt, the show’s most humorous moments stem from sharp, contemporary satire expertly executed by its talented cast. The witty observations about life, eccentric characters, and astute political commentary provide an abundance of belly laughs and current affairs humour.