Written by Eleanor Marsden    Friday, 12 March 2010 17:26   
Review: Porridge
Culture
King's Theatre
9-13 March 
* * * *
Porridge is somewhat of a British institution and although I associate it with being more of my dad's cup of tea than mine I was interested to see if the writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais would succeed in staying loyal to the original 1970's TV comedy series. Scanning the theatre there seemed to be an array of dedicated fans who had watched the show grow from its infancy.
 
I was a tad concerned that due to my tender years I wouldn't find the performance as amusing as my fellow spectators, many of whom watched the original broadcasts rather than UKTV Gold re-runs. However, from the very start Shaun Williams delivered and blended smoothly in to the role of Fletcher, providing the audience with cheeky Cockney one liners and putting puns to good use throughout. I quickly forgot that he was actually 'Barry-from-EastEnders'. It was refreshing that Clement and La Frenais did not sell out and try and update it for a modern audience; the use of innuendo and 'cop-and-robber speak' ensured that the performance stayed true to its roots.
            
There were a multitude of scenes to keep the laughs rolling, ranging from a boxing scene to a parody of the Great Escape to the brilliance that is Richard Syms who stayed true to the image of the old codger or 'Bongo' ('Books On Never Goes Out'), who manages to fool people by his sheer ability to use his age as an excuse as to why he couldn't possibly cheat at monopoly as well as steal and hide packages in a wooden donkey.
              
The comedic conflict between the 'Mongs' (prisoners) and the 'Screws' (prison officers) is neatly adapted to the stage with slapstick pranks a-plenty. Nicholas Lumley is brilliant as Mackay, the utterly ridiculous and cringe worthy posh Scottish prison officer who is only too aware of his own self importance. Although his over-exaggerated walk reminded me of a character from a 'carry on' film (which I am not a fan of), the way he delivered his lines overrode this.
              
Clement and La Frenais utilised the space of the prison set in a way that prevented it from appearing too spartan; they succeeded in staying loyal to the original script but gave it an injection of colour, bringing it into the 21st century, thereby appealing to an audience that spanned from teenagers to those in a more mature camp.

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Author of this article: Eleanor Marsden