The Funny Side of TV

The Proteans

THE Funny Side of TV was bought to Central Studio recently by the amateur arm of Proteus Theatre Company, the Proteans.

But after chuckling your way through their taste of the heyday of British television comedy, one couldn’t help but be left smiling at the laughter bought to the stage by the increasingly versatile Proteans.

Directed by Jeanette Hobden and Donna Marie Beeson, The Funny Side of TV bought together a series of sketches, audio clips and music to propel you back to decades gone by.

The cast captured the audiences’ attention immediately, opening the show with the classic family scenario of everyone sat in front of the TV not able to agree on what to watch, making the audience feel very at home! This seemingly timeless problem seemed fitting with the enduring humour of the sketches chosen for the production.

The authenticity of giving the audience a true ‘night on front of the box’ was accentuated by the intermittent use of a selection of some of the most memorable adverts from some of our best-loved household brands including Coke, Opal Fruits and of course, the unforgettable Flake ad for those of you who love to eat chocolate in an overflowing bath tub.

Particularly notable was the sharp scripting that offered a number of moments which showed a good play on words, perfectly complimented by the crisp delivery from many of the cast.

There was something for all generations, with sketches based on some of the oldest TV comedy greats such as Morecambe and Wise and Open All Hours, through to Monty Python, Victoria Wood and The Vicar of Dibley.

The set was simple but in no way was this detrimental to the performance. If anything, the lack of visual stimuli on stage further underpinned the simplicity of the television of the time, reminding us why all these years on, the comedy classics are just as funny now as they were first time round.

Once again, the Proteans have delivered a well-executed and uplifting performance which has clearly demonstrated the ongoing development of individuals’ acting skills and script writing of the company.

Genevieve Gillard