Review – In Celebration with Orlando Bloom

By ‘eck, what tut Whingers will pay for a night out at tut theatre.

£40 each in this case. Do they think money grows on trees or summat?

It were pride what did for ’em and them getting above them’s station, that’s what.

With two crackin’ shows – Elling and Saint Joan – under their belts (that’s as in “ah’ll take mah belt t’thee so help me ah will”) the Whingers were aiming for a ‘at-trick with David Storey‘s In Celebration at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Now, don’t take us wrong. We like northern people. They dine with us (or come in the evening at any rate) but really quite a lot of water has flowed under Hebden Bridge since Storey penned this in 1969. And all of it seems to have passed directrix Anna Mackmin by. And ‘err a Yorkshire lass, too.

Coming soon – Orlando Bloom

Andrew got terribly excited when he found out there would be a revival of David Storey’s play In Celebration. As a Storey virgin he felt it was time he dipped his toe into fresh waters. Storey’s plays are described as having “long descriptive passages detailing many items that appear at least superficially to play no role in furthering the plot”. Andrew claimed he was completely sold on the idea and dispatched Phil to the Duke of York’s Theatre to book before the stampede.

Of course Phil didn’t fall for Andrew’s enthusiasm for a minute. Could Andrew have been seduced by the West End debut of Hollywood heart-throb Orlando Bloom? Despite Andrew’s protestations Phil remained deeply suspicious.