BLACKADDER By Richard Curtis and Ben Elton Director: Rebekah Tomkinson Bollington Festival Players Bollington Festival Players’ stage adaptation of Blackadder is an absolute treat for fans of the iconic TV series. The cast delivered a comforting and familiar production and made the entire audience roar with laughter throughout. On arrival into the auditorium, we were greeted with gently mediæval music, and a basic stage and white cloth. Nothing to suggest what was about to unfold for the rest of the evening. And what an evening it was! The play was split into three “episodes”, as you would expect from a TV series. The first, “Bells", followed Kate - a young woman who disguises herself as “Bob” (yes, pronounced as you imagine it to be), and goes to London to seek her fortune as Blackadder’s manservant. Hilarity ensues when Blackadder falls in love with “Bob”. The second episode, “Beer”, welcomes the Whiteadders - Blackadder’s puritanical aunt and uncle. And whilst he’s trying to stay in their good graces to get his hands on some inheritance, also has to manage his boozy friends and undergo a drinking challenge. And finally the third episode, “Chains”, sees Blackadder and Melchett kidnapped and tortured by Prince Ludwig, the master of disguise. Blackadder has to escape and save the Queen during a costume party… Well, it is a comedy! And to make sure we knew what we were about to watch, the Blackadder theme tune was played before each episode - and the outro at the end. Perfect touch. On to the cast - and I have to say, the entire audience was laughing from the first lines - kudos to the script writers and director Rebekah Tomkinson who edited and adapted the original. Alex Bingle’s portrayal of Edmund Blackadder was hilarious, perfectly capturing the character’s sharp wit and sardonic humour. Bingle brought a commanding presence to the stage, delivering Blackadder’s iconic one-liners with impeccable timing and an air of calculated cynicism. His ability to balance Blackadder’s intellectual superiority with his deep frustration at the incompetence around him added depth to the character, while his expressive reactions—whether a sly smirk or an exasperated glare—enhanced the comic moments beautifully. Bingle’s dynamic with Simon Mayo’s Baldrick was especially memorable, with
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