This is the second time I have played this character, who is a joy to play because he is an old scallywag, and my currrent appearance did not detract from his personality: think of a cross between Grandad & Uncle Albert from the early, then later Only Fools and Horses. The author, Michael Cooney, is the son of the vastly experienced Ray Cooney, and this farce is a sure-fire winner: summer 2022 was the third time (!) the Society has staged this production — it was due to be performed the previous summer, but it was scuppered by Covid. There were a couple of scares this year, but we were able to perform with the full cast as rehearsed.
Had it gone ahead last year, I would have been playing a different character, so although my appearance wouldn’t necessarily have been a problem for him, it was just right for Uncle George, as you can see from the publicity photograph. Although it was a relatively large part, with plenty of lines to learn, I was surprised how quickly they came back after having put the script aside for fifteen years! This was one of the Society’s most successful summer productions (even allowing for a night off when the queen died), and all the excellent cast thoroughly enjoyed performing it.