Business Affairs (tour)
With more naughty undies on display than in a branch of Ann Summers, and in a line-up featuring ‘Allo, ‘Allo‘s Gorden Kaye and the ever-alluring Vicki Michelle, Chapman-Lloyd’s latest collaboration hardly requires much exposition. Even the title is a double entendre for this highly entertaining, but unoriginal production that is reminiscent of a Carry On, except that it delivers better writing, better acting and more surface polish than a can of Mr Sheen.
Two retirement age business partners from up North decide to sell their truck haulage business to Swedish wheeler-dealers Sven and Kurt, so they can fulfil their dream of buying a villa on the Costa del Sol. But predictably, Sven and Kurt mistake Stanley and Norman’s glamorous wives – Rose and Hilda for their top quality escort ladies.
Cue lots of slap, tickle, and, well, you can guess the rest. Sexual shenanigans keep the pace chugging along merrily. Out of all this frenzied disarray, the comedic timing is spot on, and there are some deliciously saucy turns from the experienced cast.
Coronation Street‘s Ken Morley is, as usual, all twinkly-eyed and quizzical expression, only this time with a firm eye on his financial bottom line and not a lady’s derrière. Despite her character resembling an unfortunate cross between a young Mrs Slocombe and Marlene Dietrich, Carol Harrison once again proves that she’s as deft at comedy as she is at drama. Her aloof, am-dram housewife ditches her pride, hitches up her skirt and enthrals the audience with her raunchy Rose routine. Kaye’s catatonic Norman is a change from his earlier career-defining womaniser Rene, whilst Michelle’s Hilda is more mature and less flighty than her ‘Allo, ‘Allo creation Yvette.
Director John B Hobbs fully exploits the play’s innuendo, although there’s a feeling of having seen it all before. Surprisingly, the ending is also a downer, with the Brits sacrificing their dream and settling for the safe, cosy Bournemouth instead.
The old adage that one should never mix business and pleasure doesn’t hold here, where sexual gratification is used as a deal clincher. And Rose and Hilda are certainly more in tune with their sexuality as a result of their impromptu, albeit reluctant, liaisons with the “horny” Sven (Daniel Kruyer) and the indefatigable Kurt (Keith Drinkel).
As Sex and the City Carrie would have put it – does a little of what you don’t fancy do you good?
Emma Edgeley
(reviewed at Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre)
