The Happiest Days of your Life

The Happiest Days of your Life - HADIT returns after COVID - 30th Nov to 3rd Dec 2022

Due to 3 years of delays, it was with great anticipation we awaited the return of a HADIT production.

At a time when an uplift is needed, they plumped for a post war farce, The Happiest Days of Your Life.

Chaos is created when a bureaucratic error forces a ‘well to do’ Girls’ school (St Swithins) to share accommodation with a less than salubrious Boys School (Hilary Hall).

Staff from the opposing schools try to maintain their own particular standards attempting to keep the kids apart and, more importantly, the parents in the dark.

Inevitably, this leads to an array of fast moving, erratic and clumsy cover ups. Couple this with unwelcomed and surprising exposures, numerous mistaken identities and underhand shenanigans and you have a recipe that would never make its way into any respectable home economics class.

You’ll need to Pay Attention! if you are going to catch all the puns, innuendos, word plays and general linguistic gymnastics that pepper this fast-paced play.

Jon Haddock plays a masterly Head alongside Janet Skirrow as the prim and proper Principal, preoccupied with her precious protégées, doing everything in her power to shield her girls from inappropriate encounters with the opposite sex (keeping backward boys away from forward girls!)

Danny Washington is a good ‘all-rounder’ as the Assistant Master with hopes of a romantic encounter with the ‘St Swithins Siren’, Joyce Harper (innocently played by Leanne Bradwell).

Tim Smallwood has his work cut out as Senior Master Rupert Billings, swatting off unwanted advances from Miss Gossage of St Swithins whilst juggling numerous schemes, attempting to keep things in order as the chaos grows

All the cast performed with distinction. Commendations should go to the youngsters Eddie Bishton and Ellie Papworth who did a fabulous job representing the pupils in a world dominated by so called grownups.

Special mention and honours must go to Fiona Johnston as the energetic, super keen, over enthusiastic Miss Gossage and Jim Driver as Rainbow, the oft put-upon, ever-present Porter cum Groundsman cum all round general dogsbody. Both ‘owned’ their characters, brought their roles to life and engaged marvellously with the audience throughout.

In conclusion, an all-round ‘A Star’ performance. A ‘BIG TICK’ should go to everyone involved with scenery, make up, props, lighting, etc, etc.

Please go to the Top of the Class Carolyn Garwes for another excellent, highly entertaining HADIT production.

Tony Evans (03 December 2022)