When i first heard of Benidorm Live, my first thoughts were of how the brilliant TV show would work on a stage, but after the first 10 minutes of the show at Venue Cymru, I really shouldn’t have worried.
Derren Litten‘s smash hit ITV comedy Benidorm has been transferred to the stage with all the comedy and hysterics that the TV series brought us over the 10 years that it ran on our TV screens. The show is produced for the stage by Michael Harrison and David Ian and it’s a show that will give all your chuckle muscles the work out they well and truly deserve.
Derren Litten has brought us all-new set of Alicante escapades for the much-loved cast members, as our favourite characters and the actors who play them on TV comes to the stage for an evening of sheer comedy delight, with the cast including Jake Canuso (Mateo), Janine Duvitski (Jacqueline), Sherrie Hewson (Joyce Temple-Savage), Shelley Longworth (Sam), Tony Maudsley (Kenneth), Adam Gillen (Liam) and Neptune’s very own Asa Elliott as bring the famous Solana Hotel and Blow ‘n’ Go (the place to have that new you thanks to Benidorm’s top stylist Kenneth!
The show opens with new guests Ben (Ben Redfern) and Sophie (Tricia Adele-Turner) arriving at the Solana, only to be greeted by a Spanish receptionist Rick (Will Jennings) only to be met with that usual madness that the Solana has to offer when trying to book in, in walks Joyce Temple-Savage (Sherrie Hewson), to great applause, to calm down the guests and book them in.
There are hotel inspectors coming to the Solana and nobody knows who it is, not even the audience, so now that the staff know someone is there, it’s time for them to be on their best behaviour and show that the Solana is the number one hotel to stop in at Benidorm, but this is the Solana, so anything could happen!
As you can imagine Benidorm Live is certainly just has crazy and as funny as the TV show, if not funnier, having the original cast from the TV show is perfect for Benidorm Live and personally I think that no one else could play their parts, Tony Maudsley and Adam Gillen, Kenneth and Liam, really stole the show for me, they had the audience in the palm of their hands, their comic timing is brilliant and I blame Maudsley and Gillen for the intense work out that my chuckle muscles had throughout the evening when he was on the stage.
Jacqueline (Janine Duvitski) is another of the characters that we have all come to love and she still packs a punch when it comes to those moments of chatting about her sexual exploits and double entendres, look out for those moments about cocktails, absolutely priceless.
Sherrie Hewson brings Joyce Temple-Savage to the stage right from the screen and she has some great lines throughout Benidorm Live, you’d think that the manager of the Solana could hold things together, but we know better don’t we, Hewson owns the character and you can see her passion for the role during the show.
Sam (Shelley Longworth) is another the characters that we’ve come to love over the years and she keeps the rudeness flowing through the show, giving us that feel that this sales rep that started as a holiday maker, loves Benidorm and the Solana so mach that nothing could drag her away from it.
How could you have Benidorm Live without Mateo (Jake Canuso), well quite frankly you can’t and thankfully we get to see Canuso showing off his Spanish accent and chat up lines that are so below the belt that you just can’t help laughing out loud, we also get to see Canuso strut his stuff, plus we get to see more of Mateo that we ever had, but you’ll have to see the show for that.
I can’t leave this review without also mentioning Gay Derek (Damian Williams), there are some brilliant scenes with him and Maudsley as he arrives at Benidorm after Jacqueline sends Derek a picture of Kenneth in a pair of silver hot paints and Derek just has to come over to try and spark some romance with Kenneth, but Kenneth is having none of it!
Benidorm Live – A Superb Production
The first thing that grabs your attention even before the show starts is the
The set changes seamlessly throughout the show with a beautifully designed rig that will have you seeing pool loungers, table and chairs and even the edge of the swimming pool gliding smoothly into place.
The lighting of the set is also very well done, you certainly get that warm feeling from the colours used and feel that you’ve been taken to Benidorm without leaving your seat in the theatre.
Bring in the music for the show and you have a tidy package that is so much fun to watch that you really don’t want Benidorm Live to come to an end, if you are a fan of the show or even if you have watched it a few times and had a laugh then this is a show that you really don’t want to miss and with a standing ovation on opening night in Venue Cymru, you’d be mad not to go see the
Benidorm Live will be on stage at Venue Cymru from 8th to 13th April 2019. Tickets are on sale now and available from www.venuecymru.co.uk and via the Box Office on 01492 872000.
Don't miss your trip to the Solana thank to Benidorm Live at Venue Cymru
Summary
Don’t miss your chance to take a trip to the Solana as Benidorm Live brings is lots of laughs and fun at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
