AUDIENCES at Salisbury’s Salberg Studio can turn the clock back to ther parlour entertainments of Victorian days with the evening show this Christmas.
And it is devised and performed by the same versatile and talented quartet staging The Night Before Christmas in the afternoons for a family audience.
The shows bring Glyn Kerslake back to the venue after several years in the Christmas shows, this time working with Playhouse artistic director Gareth Machin to devise A Little of What You Fancy. Many of the songs are familiar, some new, and some with arrangements that allow a fresh ear on the well-known words.
Adrian Grove is Mr Frederick Fezziwig, with his lady wife Belinda performed by Rebecca Trehearn, his brother Benjamin (Glyn Kerslake) mostly helping out at the pianoforte and their maid Dora (Sophie Evans) fortunately the possessor of a fine voice.
The format is that of a musical year, and the songs include Home Sweet Home, The Boy that I love is up in the Gallery, WS Gilbert’s strangely and Brexitly prophetic HMS Pinafore hit He is an Englishman, The Red Flag, Your Baby has Gone down the Plug-hole, Champagne Charlie and many more. It’s all done with arch charm, occasionally knowing double-entendre and nostalgic fervour.
Those of us of a certain age know these songs from our parents or grand-parents. Soon they will be little more than dated historical footnotes, so all praise to the Salisbury team for bringing them to the fore again.
A Little of What You Fancy continues until 21st January, and its companion piece, The Night Before Christmas, until New Year’s Eve, at various day times. Visit the Playhouse website for full details.
GP-W