Good Old Summertime, St Joseph's Players, Leigh. Runs until Friday WATCHING this entertaining comedy was like seeing a jolly seaside postcard coming to life.

There was the landlady from Hell, Mrs Austin, played in a suitably formidable manner by Yvonne Parkinson. And Clare Nash made a delightfully dopey and lovesick maid, Florrie.

Kathryn Chadwick and Katherine Roberts were in fine form as the archetypal domineering wives while John Martin and David Parkinson played the henpecked husbands to perfection. The former's transformation into Mr Macho Man was beautifully done.

David Hodgkinson acted the part of the posh professor with considerable style and had a nice line in fruity laughs. He cleverly hinted from the start that the man was a rotter without giving the game away completely. That cravat helped!

Maureen Young (Sally) and David Grime (Marco) completed the talented and hardworking cast. The laughs came thick and fast and the knockabout comedy was well orchestrated.

Directed at a cracking pace by Dorothy Galvin, the play, and the players, never flagged. The slight storyline about life in a seaside hotel was fleshed out with jokey incidents and improbable but hilarious occurrences.

The set was excellent as were the costumes. And choosing a George Formby recording of My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock to lead into the action was inspired.

And there was more. The talented Geoff Martland played the organ for community singing, led by David Hodgkinson and Terry Talbot, before the play started. Front of House staff added to the enjoyment by being in costume.

If you never knew, or have forgotten, what being beside the seaside was like in the 1950s get along to St Joseph's for an injection of nostalgia, or just go along for a good laugh. DOREEN CROWTHER

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