We settle down in the grandeur of the Brighton Dome for a show celebrating 75 years of The Archers with a specially written live episode, behind-the-scenes stories, archive material, audience interaction and a fascinating look at how the programme’s iconic sound effects are created in real time on stage. Brighton is the fourth date on this UK tour.
In front of us is a delightful set featuring the Ambridge Flower and Produce Show.
Suddenly we’re hearing historical clips from the Archers’ archive. The audience are immediately delighted, cheering their favourites and joining in with a singalong of the theme tune.
Comedian and host, Angela Barnes, bounds onto the stage to greet us, announcing that she is a huge Archers fan. She launches into an impressive, rapid run through the storylines of the past 75 years.
One by one she introduces us to tonight’s cast members: Timothy Bentinck (David Archer), Annabelle Dowler (Kirsty Miller), Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) and Ben Norris (Ben Archer), alongside the programme’s live sound effects specialist Vanessa Nuttall. They each enter to rapturous applause adding to the great camaraderie which has already been built.
Angela interviews each of the actors in turn as to how they first got their roles and ‘spill the beans’ on behind-the-scenes secrets. One feels as though we’re getting an invitation to a secret society where we find out that every sex scene in the show has been recorded on the same sofa bed. “We don’t change the sheets” says Timothy Bentinck (David Archer) which is met with guffaws of laughter. It’s a pattern of joy that is repeated, from the audience, throughout the evening. We swiftly become deeply aware of how these voice performers have become a family down the years, welcoming newcomers with warmth and support.
Next up Vanessa Nuttall gives us a demonstration of how she creates many of the background sounds live in recording from billowing duvets in passionate moments to adapted bicycle pumps giving us champagne cork pops.
We’re treated to a handful of specially written scenes enacted as it would be in studio which is fascinating.
The second half of the show starts with an Archers’ rap which the audience really laps up with delight. There’s a quiz for the audience to see who is the biggest Archers’ buff which was great fun.
More stories from the cast members follow including the description of how they recorded, in their homes, during lockdown. My favourite is from Charlotte Martin (Susan Carter) describing how she recorded in a wardrobe covered by a duvet. She’d put a handwritten warning sign to her kids on the outside of the door which was hilarious. By the time she left the wardrobe the message had, bizarrely, gone viral on X!
It all ends with the conclusion of the specially written episode.
As the audience wend their way out, celebrity stories appear on the screen alongside the credits which was a lovely touch.
It was a delightful night in the theatre where one could metaphorically lie back into the nostalgia and warmth that is The Archers.
