WHATEVER happened to almost 1,500 tickets for a stage show featuring North East favourites the Likely Lads?
They all sold out in double quick time, that’s what.
Last week The Journal reported how Tynemouth Priory Theatre are the first amateur group in the world to stage a play based on the 1970s TV series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? written by Whitley Bay’s Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement.
With cast member Malcolm Brown a childhood friend of Ian La Frenais, the writers were happy to give the Tynemouth outfit the non-professional rights to offer the production.
But almost a week before the first performance of a six-night run, which started on Monday, all seats were sold.
There is now a waiting list for all nights and the Tynemouth group has added an extra matinee performance on Saturday. Half of the tickets for that show have already gone.
Play director David Cosgrove said the demand showed the affection in the North East for Likely Lads characters Terry Collier, Bob Ferris and his wife Thelma.
“It has been phenomenal. This has never happened since I became a member of the theatre in 1996,” said David, who lives in Whitley Bay and whose wife Jo plays Thelma.
“We had people turning up on the night who couldn’t get in.
“The first night on Monday was absolutely brilliant with people laughing all the way through. We were all delighted at the response.”
The proceeds from the sellout will go towards the £80,000 bill the theatre club in Percy Street faces for work on extending the foyer.
Club chairman Christine Coaster said: “We are an amateur group and we get no grants so this is a gift for us and will help us tremendously.
“The response has been fantastic and is in no small part thanks to The Journal.
“It has given us a great boost and is a lovely end to our season. The atmosphere on the first night was superb. Everybody loved it and it gave us a great buzz.
“It is also lovely that Ian La Frenais, who now lives in California, has supported a back street theatre group,” said Christine, who lives in Cullercoats.
Clement and La Frenais distilled 26 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? episodes, screened in 1973-74, into one evening’s entertainment.
Terry is played by Brendan Egan, from Killingworth, while Whitley Bay teacher Stu Bowman is Bob.
