Betty Blue Eyes Review – Last night Eowyn and I went along to the opening night of Norfolk and Norwich Operatic Society’s performance of Betty Blue Eyes, I have seen some of their previous productions and knew we were in for a great show!
If you are not familiar with Betty Blue Eyes (I certainly wasn’t) here’s what the story is about….
Betty Blue Eyes Synopsis
It’s 1947, and the war is over. But the steel claws of food rationing still grip Britain, and Spam is the king of the dinner table. Soon, Princess Elizabeth will marry Prince Philip – a royal wedding to give the people a chance to celebrate.
And in a small Yorkshire village, a daring plan hatches.
They will raise a pig named Betty, destined to become the centrepiece of a feast fit for a local dignitary. But between them and their celebratory pork roast stands a formidable obstacle: Inspector Wormold, a man whose nose for sniffing out contraband is as sharp as his dedication to the rationing laws.
Will he blow the whistle on their porcine plot? Cue hilarious hijinks, retro revelry and a toe-tapping score!
Betty Blue Eyes Review
What an amazing performance! If you had told me that a chiropodist, an accountant, a pig and a crazy meat inspector would have provided a full evening’s entertainment, I would not have believed you, until i’d seen it with my own eyes!
Will Mugford was brilliant as Gilbert Chilvers the chiropodist with the magic fingers, he was funny, endearing and genuinely a lovely character.
Supported by his wife Joyce, played by Michelle Unstead, she was brilliant as the loud, overbearing spouse, who desperately wanted to mingle with the ‘in crowd’, it was lovely to watch her journey.
However, they were both slightly overshadowed by Joyce’s Mother Dear, played by Tracy Melton, who was absolutely hilarious, and for me was one of the highlights of the evening.
Joseph Betts played Henry Allardyce, the pig loving accountant to perfection, a different role to Dr Frankenstein but just as funny, his interaction with Betty was beautiful!
Alex Green as the meat inspector Mr Wormold was inspiring, although I did half expect him to lift the long coat and reveal a pair of glittery high heels after his performance in Priscilla Queen of The Desert!
The entire cast were fantastic, the 10 piece band was outstanding and the fact that this is a local drama group is phenomenal, such a professional performance and I can’t wait to see their future performances, especially excited for Singin in The Rain
If you are local, then check out Betty Blue Eyes at Norwich Theatre until 27th January 2024.