Image Credits:-
Many thanks to The Chameleons for kind permission to use their fabulous photos, which were taken by Stuart Wineberg. Other images were created in Book Brush using one image from The Chameleons. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.
I was intrigued to discover The Chameleon Theatre Group were staging Bleak Expectations and was only too glad to go to this show. I remember this as a hilarious Radio Four comedy show which I enjoyed listening to many years ago. Both the play and the radio show were written by Mark Evans.
The title comes from Dickens’s Bleak House and Great Expectations, but there were plenty of other gags connected with the great author.
A Great Spoof
A great spoof is so difficult to get right. It has to be based on strong material to begin with so, yes, Dickens’s work ticks that box. There must also be an awareness of what is being spoofed. Again, many will be aware of at least some of Dickens’s work so that’s another box ticked.
What a spoof mustn’t do, ironic though is sounds, is to tip over into being “too silly”. It must still have a good plotline of its own and characters an audience will get behind. It isn’t pantomime, which is a different humorous skill set altogether. It must be its own story and be able to stand alone.
Often the character names will indicate this play/story is a spoof. That was true here. Philip, “Pip”, Bin is just one here. Oh and he is up against his so-called ex-guardian, Mr Gently Benevolent. You can just detect the sarcasm behind that name, yes? Mind you, sometimes the names do act as a warning. The Hardthrasher family live up to their name as did Fiona Dies Early.
The name Pip itself is a reference to Pip in Great Expectations. That wasn’t the only reference to this novel. As part of the story, Pip meets and helps an escaped convict, who later comes to Pip’s rescue. Sounds familiar to me…
Examples of great spoofs for me include Carry On Screaming (as it sent up the Hammer House of Horrors movies) and Carry On Spying (fabulous send up of the Bond films). Both of these wonderful Carry Ons have strong plotlines. Everyone knows what they refer to. The stories make sense. And, yes, there are plenty of laughs.
Did The Chameleon Theatre Group achieve a great spoof with plenty of laughs with Bleak Expectations? Yes, they did. More below.
As ever, the set was amazing. The Chameleons make all of these themselves though for this show they had been lent some props and costumes from the Maskers Theatre Company and Bishopstoke Players. There were a nice choice of props and the pictures of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were a simple but effective way to show the audience the time period. Telling details make all the difference to a story. They also make all the difference to a stage set.
Storyline
Follow half-orphan Pip’s extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn! Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?
Mr Benevolent becomes the guardian of the Bin family when Mr Bin dies while on business abroad (apparently killed by penguins – immediate red flag Benevolent was the real culprit of course). But that guardianship only lasts until Pip turns 18. He is six months away from that age when Mr Benevolent takes charge. The latter sends Pip away to boarding school – St. Bastards. The school is aptly named.
Pip meets Harry Biscuit here who tells him nobody survives their 18th birthday. The school is run by Wackwell Hardthrasher who lives up to his name. Oh and he has given his cane a name – Michael! Pip’s birthday is brought forward by six months. Someone is keen to get rid of Pip so he can marry Pip’s sister and have a delightful young wife and Pip’s inheritance.
That plan is thwarted but later when Pip invents the bin and becomes hugely rich, Gently tries to cheat him again. He hasn’t given up on his original idea.
But all works out well in the end. When watching shows like this, you know somehow it will work out. What you can’t know is how and it’s that which is the hook to keep you watching.
Review
The story is narrated by the adult Sir Philip Bin looking back on what happened in his childhood. Nick Coleman was wonderful with this. He got the show off to a great start by claiming, as well as being a great inventor, he was also a novelist who came up with books such as A Christmas Quarrel, Massive Dorrit (and others) and condemned the hack writer, Charles Dickens!
I did like that reference. It is true to an extent. Dickens used to work for the newspapers. He wrote his novels as serials for said papers and earned more money by ensuring those serials had plenty of parts to them! You can’t blame him, especially when you know his father had been in debtor’s prison, leaving the 12 year old Charles to work for a shoe blacking factory. Yes, Charles knew something about poverty and child labour.
I was especially keen to listen out for the Dickens’ references in the play because I knew the original radio show had loads of these, all of which were fun. That carried over into the play too, I’m glad to say. There were far too many to mention here but I enjoyed the separate references to “it was the best of times” and, later, “it was the worst of times” and “it’s a far, far better thing…”
Later with the young Pip Bin is in imminent danger of being executed his future self comes to him and reassures him things would get better. Does that remind you of a certain Dickens’ Christmas story?
Pip was bright enough to ask where where his selfs of the past and present were (so someone knew how the story worked!) but was told by his future self the others were apparently on strike. Liked that too.
This was a fabulous and funny show.
As ever, The Chameleons put on a fabulous performance. The audience clearly enjoyed the show. There were so many laugh out loud moments. I loved the humour. I was far from alone in that! All of the cast were excellent.
The outstanding performances came from Angharad Warren as the young Pip Bin and Geoff Dodsworth as the villainous Gently Benevolent. Geoff seems to have a way with villains! An evil one naturally as should be the case for “good” villains.
A shout out must also go to John Puzey who played the three Hardthrasher brothers and Thomas Bin, Pip’s father, most of whom died as part of the story! Other members of the cast to play more than one role were Lisa Barfoot, Mike Morris, and Olya Chamberlain (though one of her roles was that of Lily’s hand which was seen at various moments of the play handing props such as notes out).
Also the props were especially good. Much use was made of lowering said props on to the stage from the, well I would say gods, but Ritchie Hall isn’t that tall! But all worked well and added much to the show’s humour.
Conclusion
I think shows like this meet an unspoken need. Is the news grim? You bet it is. So then one way to be cheered up is to go and see your excellent local theatre company stage a wonderful comedy and enjoy the show.
Oh and anything that celebrates the works of Dickens, as this marvellous spoof does (if nothing else it gives those works more publicity given most would know what the “real” titles were – Dorrit was anything but massive in Dickens’ work!), well that’s a good thing too.
Next Show
Am looking forward to The Chameleons’ next show in October, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight. Complete change of mood for this one as it will be a thriller.
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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