The Young Ones

The smash hit TV show
adapted for stage and directed by Julian Canny,
written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Meyer.

Anarchy, plate smashing, lentils, Cliff and poetry
– a world first in the Goldfields!

GET set to strap yourself in for a night of laughs with anarchy, plate smashing, lentils, poetry and Sir Cliff Richard as the smash hit TV show “The Young Ones” opens live on stage, right here in the Goldfields.

The production opens next Friday and is a WORLD DEBUT, with local company Stage Left Theatre Troupe Goldfields WA Inc. staking a claim as the first community theatre to ever be granted the rights to adapt the show to stage.

Director Julian Canny and his production team have been working hard since January to fine tune the production, preparing the set, smashing furniture, dabbling with lentil recipes and working on a vast array of special effects to bring the antics of the four undergraduate students from Scumbag College to life.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of the TV show and held a dream to create a stage production,” Mr Canny said.

“Working with my producer Peta Panaia and production manager Lisa van Oyen, we were able to secure written permission and encouragement from the writers, Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Meyer to adapt several episodes.”

The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980’s and made household names of its writers and performers.

The hit show revolved around four undergraduate students sharing a house: violent punk rocker and total nutter Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson), pompous anarchist and fanatical disciple of Cliff Richard, Rick (Rik Mayall), long-suffering hippie and house chef and cleaner, Neil (Nigel Planer), and the mysterious charmer and smoothie, Mike (Christopher Ryan). It also featured Alexei Sayle, who played the quartet's landlord, Jerzei Balowski, and other members of the Balowski family.

In directing his first full length Stage Left production Mr Canny has cast Phil van Oyen as Vyvyan; Kevin Blair as Rick; Richard Burrowes as Neil; Frank Cotter as Mike and local comedian John (JT) Taylor as Jerzei Balowski. Actors John Rees, Sarah-Jayne (SJ) Eeles and newcomer Helen Blench round out the cast with various cameo appearances.

In keeping with the tradition of the TV show, Mr Canny said the anarchic, offbeat humour, rambling plots, comic asides and musical interludes would all be featured, much to the delight of diehard fans; along with “a few surprises”.

Nine shows are scheduled for The Young Ones at the Stage Left Theatre 61B Burt Street, Boulder (facing Lane Street), located behind The Rock Inn. Performances start at 8pm on Friday March 20, Saturday March 21, Thursday March 26, Friday March 27, Saturday March 28, Thursday April 2, Friday April 3 and Saturday April 4; and there is also a 2pm matinee on Sunday March 22nd.

Tickets available from Boulder Pharmacy, 46 Burt St, Boulder
BOOKINGS: Ph: 9093 1150

Enquiries: Lisa van Oyen  0439 091 391