| Various reviews from the fringe |
At the Torch |
| Eastgate Productions in association with the Torch Theatre- Oh, Hello , Edinburgh Fringe 2002 , August 2, 2002 |
| Three Weeks Oh, Hello Eastgate Productions in association with the Torch Theatre ‘You can Carry On without me’. Sadly for Charles Hawtry, they did. As one of the key players in the Carry On team, Hawtry always felt under-valued, yet his parting words backfired when the Carry On films continued their success long after his departure. Like many of the Carry On stars, Hawtry was deeply unhappy a lot of the time, yet this never came across in his work with his private life kept mostly secret right up until the end. As a result, this bio-play is funny and sad in equal measure. Dave Ainsworth charts Charles Hawtry’s decline sensitively, never allowing the poignancy to overwhelm the humour, making ‘Oh, Hello’ an extremely enjoyable show – and definitely one to make time to see this Fringe. Venue 13, 2-10 August 8.30pm (9.30pm) £6 (£5) P139 [JM] The Herald Oh, Hello Rating - *** More dead comedians and, in Charles Hawtry, erstwhile Carry On stalwart, another national institution. And, my, doesn’t Dave Ainsworth’s one-man portrait of the original speccy weed play to type. A sad old queen who competed for pretty boys on set with arch nemesis Kenneth Williams, he lived and died alone, a gin-soaked recluse, embittered and estranged from the very thing that made him. In 70s showbiz standard of pink shirt and cravat, any physical inconsistencies are offset by delivery and attention to detail. Ainsworth doesn’t flinch from the warts and all routine in an increasingly sad tale of rum, bum, and bitchiness in an out of the spotlight. Neil Cooper The Scotsman Oh, Hello Theatre: Venue 13 Dave Ainsworth proves the tears of a clown are still the saddest in this intimate engagement with the forgotten man of Carry On, Charles Hawtry. Though we find him at the beginning, as we do at the end, in a dressing gown and muttering something about alcohol being his ‘only friend’, the scene quickly changes – the lights go up and we see the sparkling public face of Charles Hawtry, all flashing eyes and waving hands. Cleverly written, it is made to seem that Charles is innocently relating anecdotes from his life, when what we really see is a man losing control, unwittingly revealing a catalogue of misjudged jokes and futile attempts to control his destiny and reshape the opinions of others. ‘I’ve worked with Will Hay, I’ve been directed by Alfred Hitchcock!’ is his exasperated defence against anyone calling him a faded star. It reaches a sad climax when Charles has to be rescued from his burning house by a fireman and, for once, sees no place for any hose/ helmet innuendo. A convincing performance from Ainsworth, who was so relaxed and comfortable in his role, he made the audience feel they’d been invited round ‘for a drop’. Corrinne Averiss Until 10th August The Stage Oh, Hello Audiences may come to Dave Ainsworth’s portrait of Charles Hawtry expecting a joke-filled celebration of the ‘Carry On’ films. But, while Ainsworth offers a fair share of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, his solo play is actually a moving study in decline and self-delusion. After a brief prelude, hinting at future unhappiness, we meet Hawtry near the end of his ‘Carry On’ career as the veteran, presented as twice as camp then either he or Kenneth Williams ever were on screen, bemoans the lack of respect and remuneration he is getting. He acted with Will Hay, he repeatedly reminds us, and he takes great pride in the fact that the young Jim Dale looks to him as a comic mentor. Over the next few years, as Hawtry leaves the series and sinks into alcoholic oblivion, his story is also revealed as less pleasant than he first remembered it, and we learn that he was less of a victim and more the agent of his own downfall than he wants to believe. Appropriately, Ainsworth’s playing also becomes more subtle, engaging our sympathy for a man whose greatest performance may have been the one he put on to deceive himself. Gerald Berkowitz |
Reviewed by: Assorted Edinburgh papers |
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