Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds is pleased to welcome Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre and New Vic Theatre, as they present a brand new fearless all-female adaptation of Whisky Galore. Witness the Pallas Players as they play all the hilarious and diverse characters in this comedy classic.
The islanders of Great and Little Todday are dismayed to find their whisky supply dwindling as the government diverts the precious stuff to the Americans in an attempt to bribe them into supporting the British war effort. When a 50,000 whisky bottle cargo shipwrecks close by, welcome relief seems to be at hand. Conflict is guaranteed, however, once stuffy Paul Waggett of the Home Guard takes it upon himself to try and prevent the thirsty islanders from taking advantage of their good fortune. Meanwhile, as in the finest of Shakespearian comedies, two weddings are planned; one hinges on timid George Campbell finding the courage to stand up to his disapproving mother, the other involves a leading English Officer’s love for the daughter of a leading whisky filcher.
This new production, set in 1955, is a tribute to the feisty, fearless all-female touring theatre companies of the post-war years. Under the dogmatic direction of the redoubtable Flora Bellerby, witness the Pallas Players – Win, Leaky, Bea, Aileen, Connie and last-minute replacement Juliet – as they play all the hilarious and diverse characters from Mackenzie’s comedy classic, in an innovative and beguiling adaptation that breathes fresh life into a well-loved, internationally-acknowledged masterpiece.
Compton Mackenzie’s Whisky Galore was published in 1947, inspired by the sinking of the SS Politician off Eriskay in 1941. It was adapted into an Ealing comedy film in 1949 and became an instant success.
Whisky Galore runs at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds from Tue 5 – Sat 9 June.Tickets are on sale at the Box Office, call 01284 769505, book online at www.theatreroyal.org/whisky-galore or visit the theatre in person.
