Fans of the popular sitcom Benidorm will be packing out Milton Keynes Theatre this week for the stage version of the show featuring most of the ITV cast.
If you've ever stumbled across this comedy while channel hopping you'll have either loved it or very quickly realised your error and switched back to the BBC.
This is a show which makes no apologies for being brash, crass and in your face with non-stop innuendo and camp tomfoolery in the classic British end of the pier style.
And judging by the audience reaction - it has a lot of fans.
Benidorm creator Derren Litten certainly knows his audience and he's managed to recreate the chemistry which has made the show a long running hit for ten years.
The stage show has reunited many of the Solana hotel staff including Jake Canuso (Mateo), Janine Duvitski (Jacqueline), Adam Gillen (Liam), Sherrie Hewson (Joyce Temple-Savage), Shelley Longworth (Sam), and Tony Maudsley (Kenneth). Each familiar face came on stage to cheers and the cast seemed to be relishing the live audience reactions.
As someone who hasn't stuck with the TV series, this show worked as a stand alone piece of theatre comedy - the plot is self-contained and you can enjoy it without needing to be familiar with the characters.
There were some very good performances with fantastic stage presence from Tony Maudsley as Kenneth and some hilarious moments provided by Janine Duvitski as Jacqueline. Sherrie Hewson was also a hit with the audience.
The plot follows a couple of posh holiday makers Ben and Sophie (Bradley Clarkson and Tricia Adele-Turner) who are transferred to the Solana from their 4 star hotel and are mistaken for hotel inspectors by the staff as they encounter a series of memorable experiences at the hotel.
But as Ben comes to realise, at the Solana you can either turn your nose up and endure it, or lose your pretensions and enjoy it. The same could be said for this show.
Benidorm Live does a great job of transporting you from a rainy October evening in MK to the warming sunshine of a cheap Spanish holiday resort and even if you're not familiar with the TV version, I'd recommend this show to anyone who enjoys comedies like Mrs Browns Boys or classic sitcoms like Are You Being Served.
Performances continue until Saturday. Book here
Never miss leisure news in Milton Keynes - Follow us on www.twitter.com/thisistotalmk
And on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thisistotalmk
