Holiday Snap Delights Main Stage Theatre Company Audiences
Holiday Snap, the classic British farcical comedy written by Michael Pertwee and John Chapman, proved to be a huge success with audiences when Main Stage Theatre Company staged the production in May.
The story revolves around a chaotic double-booked timeshare villa in Portugal, where two couples arrive at exactly the same time, each attempting to hide an illicit affair from the drunken, myopic villa manager.
The humour, which relies on quick-witted dialogue and classic farcical situations including mistaken identities, slamming doors and guests pretending to be Portuguese servants to avoid discovery, was fast-moving and wonderfully chaotic.
A Strong Cast Performance
The two couples, Paula Wright as Eve, Andrew Dawes as Leslie, Zara Kent as Mary and John Morton as Henry, played their roles with gusto, whilst Neil Marshall as the villa manager, Commander Chittenden, tried to work out the relationships and generally managed to get it hopelessly wrong, causing embarrassment to all.
Henry’s mother-in-law Celia then arrived, played by Ingrid Cooke, who returned to the stage to take on the role of a rather posh, upstanding lady. Due to the fact that Mary was not actually her daughter, all efforts were made to keep her new identity as that of a Hungarian housemaid, creating hilarious situations throughout.
Later in the play, to add to the deceit, family friend Perky arrived. This role was played by Barry Barnes, who was also the director. Right at the very end of the show, to further complicate matters, Henry’s real wife Kit entered, played by Joanne Wright.
Behind the Scenes Success
Expert sound and lighting from Richard Palmer and Simon Hardwood, together with a smoothly run front-of-house operation, ensured the whole show was very well performed, delivered and received.
Thanks must also go to Neil Marshall for his excellent poster and programme design.
The Saturday matinee lunch and theatre break, expertly organised by Beverley Taylor, added a new dimension to the production and was very well received and appreciated.
The success of Holiday Snap continues a strong run of productions for Main Stage Theatre Company.
The next show is planned for November, so watch this space for more details. You can find out more about the company via the Main Stage Theatre Company Facebook page.
Janet Gilbert
National Garden Scheme Open Gardens in Leicestershire 2026
