In Coronation Street we knew her as daffy Maureen Holdsworth...
...but in TV's Benidorm, Sherrie Hewson is a force to be reckoned with in the form of Solana hotel manager Joyce Temple-Savage.
Last night, a cold and January evening, I went to my local theatre, the Sunderland Empire, for a dose of fun in the sun as Benidorm Live checked in for the week. The play runs at Sunderland Empire until Friday 19 January before continuing on its tour.
The stage play takes Derren Litten's smash hit ITV comedy on the road bringing sunshine and smiles to the stage. Many of the TV cast are involved in the stage show and as well as Sherrie Hewson, you can see Jake Canuso (Mateo), Janine Duvitski (Jacqueline), Shelley Longworth (Sam), Tony Maudsley (Kenneth), Aidan Gillen (Liam) and the Neptune Bar’s very own singer Asa Elliott.
And I have to say, it was a lot of fun - just what's needed at this time of year. As a huge fan of the TV show I admit I was worried about how it might transfer to the stage - or not. Would I come away disappointed from seeing some of my favourite characters out of context, on the stage instead of the screen? I needn't have worried.
Even before the play began... even before I took my seat, I was already in Benidorm. From the selfie and photo opportunities through to the music being played in the theatre bar - and then again in the theatre as we took our seats, you knew you were nowhere other than Benidorm. And if you were in any doubt, the impressive stage set reinforced the fact that this was going to be great fun. More importantly, it told you that you were in safe hands. This was going to be Benidorm through and through. And once the familiar theme tune started up, we were away...
It really was excellent. Yes, it was rude, it was crude and it was very, very funny. The plot was strong and kept the audience involved. Scene changes were made fun with some dancing from the cast, the likes of which we never see on television. Speaking of which, fans of Jake Canuso, who plays Mateo, will see him in an, er, new light live on stage. I won't say more than that for fear of spoiling the surprise.
As with any episode of Benidorm, Sherrie Hewson as Joyce Temple-Savage provided some wonderful comic touches as she tried to keep her beloved Solana hotel together. And it wouldn't be Benidorm without karaoke in Neptune's Bar. Aiden Gillen, who plays Liam, did a fantastic comedy turn during his karaoke slot that had me in fits of laughter. In fact, I laughed from going in until coming out, which is no mean feat on a cold January night. The house was packed full and it was an absolute joy.
One word of warning however... if you're going to see the show, make sure you get yourself to a karaoke bar afterwards otherwise you're going to be singing all the way home.
A wonderful show with a great cast - it really was a fun night.
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