Great mix of laughs and sentiment

LE GRAND RETURN

Swan, Dobcross

THE Swan’s involvement in the Manchester Fringe Festival brings another charmingly written comedy drama to Saddleworth, though not for the first time.

Halifax writer Alan Stockdill’s play appeared at the small pub theatre earlier this year and was such a hit the owners asked his company, Talking Stock, to bring it back for two nights (second night tonight), both of which sold out quickly.

And you can see why: Le Grand return mixes well-written Last of the Summer Wine-style banterish dialogue and situations with a genuinely heartfelt and unashamedly sentimental nod to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in 1994.

Tommy (Keith Royston), wants to revisit the Normandy house in which his friend died in June, 1944, while Alf (Roy Byrom) and kindly former Pay Corps captain Edwin are keen to join him both for the outing and to prove they still can.

The three “break out” of their care home and its strict matron (Giselle Herbert, who plays all the female roles), and make their way to the Normandy events by way of Belgium.

The result, as I suggested, is a sort of cross between Last of the Summer Wine and the “travel” comedies of John Godber, except Stockdill’s work has greater depth of character.

When the three get to Normandy — all having had nicely-written monologues along the way — Tommy comes into his own, bad heart notwithstanding.

The evening is clearly aimed at an audience that appreciates wartime sacrifice and achieves this goal well, making us laugh with the unlikely lads as they make their way to France, pursued by police.