Plater’s war-time tale scores a direct hit

BLONDE BOMBSHELLS OF 1943, Coliseum, Oldham
THE world is a slightly sadder place without Alan Plater in it. The late playwright entertained us for years with gentle, humorous, quirky and often musical stories — of which this is a prime example.

Adapted from one of his dozens of TV dramas, “Bombshells” hit the stage in 2006 and has played to packed houses on tour pretty much ever since, a heady mix of music and the nostalgia and misery of the war years.

To be honest it’s a fairly slight piece even for Plater: those who lived through the war might get most from it, though any student of Forties music will find much to enjoy and the rest can hang on to the funny dialogue and not feel at all short-changed.

The first half is little more than an extended audition for new members of the Bombshells — namely a nun (the delightfully energetic Katharine Moraz), schoolgirl Liz (Carla Freeman), society girl Miranda (Suzi Power) and Patrick (Chris Grahamson), happy to don a dress if it means staying out of the Army.

The second half takes us to the band’s first and only radio concert, full of repartee, quickfire silliness and great music (arranged throughout by MD Howard Gray)

But it’s not so much the storyline as the way it gets where it’s going: director Kevin Shaw has picked a terrific cast, from jokey pianist May (Marianne Benedict) and sad trumpeter and PoW widow Vera (Sarah Groarke) and her friend Grace (Natasha White), a genuine war widow at 18, to Georgina White as bandleader Betty.

What we see is a group of women like dozens of others, keeping their spirits up and playing to raise morale among the troops and people left at home.

This group of actresses works very well together, creating a genuinely warm atmosphere despite the clever dilapidation of their bombed-out rehearsal rooms (nicely created by designer Foxton).

This is a very strong production from a great cast of actor-musicians; I’ve seen the show before and it seemed a little slow and ponderous, but this cast lifts it beautifully without doing anything particularly flashy.

Highly recommended, but look out: tickets are selling fast, particularly for matinees.

To May 4.