Over the Top, July 2018

'Over The Top' — 13/14th July 2018

Pre-production photos:

The chaps from Blackadder before the first Dress Rehearsal …
[L to R: Jo Smith, Jonathan Neil, Rod Sharp, David Burnham, Neil Hardinge & Rufus Kendall]

… and during the rehearsal (it was a sweltering 30°C!)

Photos from the last night (Deb Williamson & Angus McKay):

Act 1: The show began with the Blackadder sketch 'Goodbyeee'

Baldrick (Rod Sharp), George (Jo Smith) and Blackadder (Rufus Kendall) wait for news of the 'big push'

Blackadder decides the best way to avoid going 'Over the Top' is to be declared mad.

Sadly for him, Melchett (David Burnham) isn't being taken in by it. On the left is Captain Darling (Jonathan Neil).

Baldrick offers Darling a cup of coffee – made out of mud, dandruff and saliva.

Baldrick gives Blackadder and George a rendition of his poem 'The German Guns' – "Boom, boom, boom, boom".

Melchett tells Darling he's sending him to the Front.

Field Marshall Haig (Neil Hardinge) answers Blackadder's call for help …

… but Blackadder is not amused by his answer.

Our four heroes end up by going 'Over the Top'

Act 2:

The 'Women in White' (Wendy Downs, Pru Harrold, Penny McKay, Jill Turner, Mel White & Dil Williamson-Smith) sang several times during th show. Here they introduce Act 2 with 'Keep the Home Fires Burning'

Simon read a letter from a young boy about seeing a Zeppelin crash

We had many instruments on stage for 'Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser' – some of us even knew how to play them!

Wendy, Mel and Dil stepped forward to weave some choreographic magic during the choruses.

Mel was back to read a letter written by a girl to her fiancé in the trenches.

Angela Berry read from the War Diary of Ethel Bilbrough at several points in the proceedings, and John McGregor with Louis Clist were there to interject each time – here they offer her a couple of rabbits to help with her food shortages.