Betty Boothroyd? A musical? The Royal Exchange loves to throw a curveball show into the festive mix. And what a mix this is. The Dewsbury Amateur Players are tasked with creating a Christmas show about a local hero, and who better than Baroness Betty Boothroyd – a former tiller girl who became the first female speaker of the House of Commons.
Maxine Peake and Seiriol Davies’ book and score give us the comedy moments of Victoria Wood with a smattering of Jerry Springer thrown in. Peake leads as the formidable amdram diva Meredith Ankle, local star of the Dewsbury Players, cobbling together the vocally challenged enthusiastic talents and complacent attitudes of her fellow players. Each performer gets to play Betty through the ages, with Peake taking on the famous images we have of Betty’s later years. The second half’s Boothroydian Rhapsody is a theatrical moment not to be forgotten, as Betty finally attains the height of her political career and comes face to face with such political heavy weights as Dennis Skinner. And, of course, there must be an appearance by the Iron Lady…
James Cotterill’s staging perfectly captures a local community hall, complete with dodgy tea urn, fluorescent strip lighting, and polystyrene ceiling tiles. Sarah Frankcom’s direction ensures the evening flies by with never a dull moment.
If you’re looking for festive spirit, this is not the show for you; if you’re looking to escape the Christmas theatricals, then head to the Royal Exchange. The humour, like Marmite, may not be to everyone’s taste, but for me this was absolutely my Christmas Marmite, served with lashings of laughter and WTF moments.
I was unsure what to expect, but any expectations I did have were exceeded; this is an unexpectedly spectacular night out! I haven’t laughed so much for ages!
Royal Exchange: December 3rd 2022 – January 14th 2023 with details here
Garry Thomas-Lowde for Ancoats Plus
Image credit Johan Persson
