Listen Very Carefully… Allo Allo! at Lowry, Dec
From Tue 16 December for the Christmas holiday period, The Lowry’s Quays Theatre is home to a new production of ‘Allo ‘Allo!, specially written for the stage by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. Calibre Productions, the producers behind the hugely successful Dad’s Army – The Lost Episodes, return to present a brand new stage adaptation of another hit British TV sitcom, brimming with all of the joyous mayhem and hilarious innuendos to be expected from the series.
Set in occupied France during WWII, the hapless French Café owner René and his wife Edith struggle to hide a priceless portrait – The Fallen Madonna ‘with ze Big Boobies’ – stolen by the Nazis and hidden in a sausage in their cellar. Adding to René’s woes, the French Resistance force him to aid their persistent attempts to return two bumbling British airmen to England whilst simultaneously trying to keep his long-running affairs with his two waitresses from his wife.
Created for the BBC by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, ‘Allo ‘Allo! aired for 10 years from 1982 and comprised of 85 episodes, which were filmed in a courtyard at Lynford Hall in Norfolk. Alongside the television series, the show gave rise to an equally successful stage show which performed three London runs at the Palladium as well as international tours. The show’s premise was not to make fun of the war, but to spoof war-based film and TV dramas; in particular, a BBC1 drama about the resistance movement, Secret Army.
This new adaptation provides a unique and rare opportunity to experience once again the comedy, gags and fast-paced cultural clichés that established ‘Allo ‘Allo! as one of Britain’s Best Sitcom’s, with cherished catchphrases, including “You stupid woman!”, “Listen very carefully. I shall say this only once”’, “Good moaning!” and “Ooooh Rene”.
‘Allo ‘Allo! runs at the Lowry from Tues 16 December until Sat 10 January.