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The cast of Dick Barton - Special Agent, which runs at The Haymarket until Saturday, June 21

Dick Barton - Special Agent

The Haymarket

Until Saturday, June 21

THE sounds of a tuning dial announced the start of a frivolously fun trip back to the days of the British Empire, courtesy of Anvil Arts, Harrogate Theatre and Oldham Coliseum's co-production of Dick Barton - Special Agent.

It was great to see children in the audience at The Haymarket for the opening night, and judging from their laughter, they were hugely entertained by this retro-romp of an adventure story, performed with admirable enthusiasm by its talented cast of six.

Viewed retrospectively, there is much comedy to be mined from Dick Barton - Special Agent, who was, as the show poster points out, the precursor of James Bond. This show is perfect for those who nostalgically recall the japes of the BBC serial star, and also for younger generations, given that it comes over a little like Mike Myers' Austin Powers films. Add a soupcon of 'Allo 'Allo esque bawdy innuendo, mostly connected with our hero's first name, and you have a perfect recipe for sunny antics.

There's a dashing hero (Justin Brett), a humorously-accented villain, Baron Scarheart (Simeon Truby), who wears comedy trousers, a vampiric cloak and has tragic origins, plus the essential saucy femme fatale/Lady Tottington-esque English rose (Ally Holmes).

And let us not forget Matt Connor, Kieran Buckeridge, and David Westbrook, who populate the rest of the plot, and the former of whom is Dick's wonderful "working class, regionally accented" Scottish sidekick.

Not only are audiences entertained by the acting - and occasional hamming it up - during Dick Barton, there are also many show-stopping musical numbers. Dick sings a memorable ditty about the Barton family to the tune of Rule Britannia, and there's also a wonderful take on Nessun Dorma, instead beginning "stress and trauma", which is performed with comic panache - and a dash of pathos - by the baddie's sidekicks.

Phil Willmott's script has lots of wit - Dick is tricked into revealing his identity by being unable to resist responding with good manners to the Baron's sneeze - as well as more farcical comedy, to sustain the momentum until the end.

Plaudits must also go to the musical director, Howard Gray, to director Kevin Shaw and designer, Alison Heffernan, whose clever radio-stage moves from sleazy nightclub to London office in a flash.

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