Review: The Good Life by SDC at Southport Little Theatre by Andrew Brown, Southport BID
The Good Life. What a blast from the past!
I’d like to pretend that I’m too young to remember when The Good Life sitcom series was on TV, that I’m too young to remember the theme tune and that I don’t recognise Richard Briers, Felicity Kendall, Penelope Keith, or Paul Eddington. Sadly it wouldn’t be true.
The Good Life was a huge hit when it aired initially 1975-1978, and repeated many years since.
The Good Life by the SDC at Southport Little Theatre. Photo by Graham Fletcher Hill
It’s easy to see why; there are so many things about it that resonate with people.
The writing is sharp, the characters are brilliant and perfectly matched, the jokes are very funny.
It’s great to see it adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams.
While so much of this production is timeless, it was great to see such effort going into old 70s costumes (brilliant work), songs, references, cars, all sorts.
The Southport Dramatic Club show highlights Surrey couple Tom Good (Richard Michell) and Barbara Good (Corinna Davies) and their decision to quit the rat race, designing plastic toys for cereal boxes (remember those days?) and piano lessons, toiling away in jobs that no-one enjoys to buy things that no-one needs.
The Good Life by the SDC at Southport Little Theatre. Photo by Graham Fletcher Hill
Instead they turn their home and gardens into a self-sufficient farm, planting vegetables, and rearing farm animals, reconnecting in the process and improving their quality of life while posh neighbours Margo Leadbetter (Jacqui Padden) and Jerry Leadbetter (Radley Haynes) carry on under the burden of work and society pressures.
There are several other characters in the show – all played brilliantly by Les Gomersall and Trudi Hirsch. Lots of costume and accent changes throughout.
The six performers build their characters brilliantly throughout the show, bringing more and more laughs as the evening wears on.
They have all enjoyed eight weeks of intensive rehearsals under Director Adrian Miles-Roberts, where they had such huge fun rehearsing that the enjoyment can’t help but spread to the audience.
The Good Life by the SDC at Southport Little Theatre. Photo by Graham Fletcher Hill
Adrian said: “This has been a dream cast to direct and there has been so much fun and laughter in every rehearsal. I hope that comes across in the play.”
This is the final SDC play of the 2023/24 season on the Main Stage, although it is followed by the SDC Bar Production The Revlon Girl 18th-22nd June 2024 as well as shows by other local performing companies.
Work is already taking place on the shows for next year.
There is a loyal and committed audience following the SDC plays. There were several regulars in the theatre when I was there – including one who had been coming for 55 years!
The Good Life by the SDC at Southport Little Theatre. Photo by Graham Fletcher Hill
Southport Little Theatre celebrated its 100th anniversary during the Covid pandemic and has kept going strong in a town boasting multiple performance spaces through the passion of its performers, its members, its volunteers, its audiences.
These are people who love being on stage and have the passion to shine, which always comes across.
Bringing live theatre to Southport is what they all love to do. And after all, shouldn’t we all want the good life?
- The Good Life, by Southport Dramatic Club, is at Southport Little Theatre, Hoghton Street, Southport town centre, 10th-18th May 2024. Book online at littletheatresouthport.co.uk or call the Box Office on: 01704 530521.
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