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by Peter Nichols, at the Royalty Theatre, Sunderland.
Privates on Parade is set in 1948, in Malaysia, where the British Army are fighting communism, and like all productions at the Royalty, there are many strands to the narrative, and the characters are not quite what they seem, especially the acting Sergeant-Major. Many of the main protagonists are wonderfully camp, which adds to the humour. There is something delightfully British with burly men dressed in drag.
The play follows the cast as they battle with war, their feelings and hopes for the future whilst they put on productions to entertain the troops. There is, as quickly becomes apparent, a traitor in their midst.
The play is based on Peter Nichols' experiences of the entertainment corps during his national service. Some of the characters fall in love with each other, and two in particular had me hoping for a happy ending for them, but it wasn't to be.
The play is funny in places, but some of the humour and language feels dated.
One of the few bright points of this awful recession is that theatre audiences across the country have risen. The Royalty Theatre stage many great productions, so get yourself along for enjoyable, and cheap night out.
The next production at the Royalty is Ancient Lights, beginning on 10th May, and tickets are available at the Sunderland Tourist Information Centre.
For information about this, and future productions, please go to www.royaltytheatre.co.uk |
Theatre
