Christmas Present & Correct: Lichfield Garrick Review

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Fri 06 Dec 2024 - Sun 05 Jan 2025

New Old Friends have been delighting audiences at the Lichfield Garrick theatre in Staffordshire for almost 10 years, ever since a chance encounter in Edinburgh between the theatre company's co-founder Feargus Woods Dunlop and the Garrick's then artistic director Tim Ford.

But their latest seasonal comedy production, Christmas Present & Correct, has considerably tweaked New Old Friends' previous, highly successful format. Their previous festive favourites, typified by their hilarious Crimes... series, has involved four actors regularly playing numerous diverse characters between them, But in Christmas Present & Correct, both written and directed by Feargus, the story centres around one main character who has 'invented' four other people who he then has to try to make real.



As Feargus himself says, the twist on their usual format allows New Old Friends to share some of the tricks and techniques which are usually hidden away backstage, away from the audience's prying eyes.

In this splendid new production, which continues at Lichfield Garrick throughout the Christmas period until 5 January 2025, Herbert Richards and his sister Dorothy produce a highly successful radio drama about life on a British farm. A tribute to the long-running Archers perhaps.



In this scenario, The Cavalry has been running for three and a half years and has found itself near the top of the radio show ratings after almost 900 episodes. But Herbert, who fancies himself as a star actor with delusions of Hollywood, actually plays all the other characters in the show. So, as well as the titular Phil Cavalry, he also does the voices of all the other characters, namely Phil's wife Amy, arch-rival Brian, and alluring femme fatale Patricia in a bid to cut costs and save money.

All is going perfectly well until the radio company's majority owner, Wyllis Guthrie, suddenly and unexpectedly announces he is coming to the studio to speak to Dorothy about a huge film offer in the United States. Cue madcap mayhem and exciting thrills as Herbert decides to deliver the 'performance of a lifetime' by trying to convince Wyllis that all The Cavalry's characters are, in fact, played by real actors.



The result is an extremely funny, very energetic production that also delivers the occasional twist, such as a secret that is being carried by Wyllis, and the true identity of a young aspiring actress who turns up at the radio studio wanting to play a part in The Cavalry. As well as the outstanding cast, a special mention should also go to New Old Friends' fellow co-owner, and Feargus's wife, Heather Westwell, who takes on her first role as designer. The result is a brilliant radio studio set, made more impressive by the limited space with Garrick's studio theatre.

Stuart Tavendale is superb as Herbert, who gets increasingly caught up in the madness of trying to disguise himself as the other cast members of The Cavalry. But he is more than matched by the excellent Kirsty Cox as Dorothy, who tries to maintain some control over the situation. The cast is completed by Mark Collier as the ultimately confused Wyllis, and Rosie Coles as the beautiful aspiring actress Saffron Smith, with a secret of her own.



Christmas Correct & Present continues at the Lichfield Garrick until 5 January 2025. Tickets priced from £20 are available by calling the box office on 01543 412121 or by visiting www.lichfieldgarrick.com

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