IT'S almost a year ago since this critic left Thurrock's Thameside Theatre full of mirth, joy and admiration for a local dramatic company that continues to excel.

For almost two decades I have enjoyed, with just the odd exception, some remarkable productions from a company that is now widely recognised as one of the best of its kind – and has picked up the honours and accolades that back that up.

In February last year, Thurrock Courts Players gave us its version of the much-loved TV sitcom Allo Allo. Tonight (Thursday, 13 February) they returned to the stage to bring us a second helping.

And Allo Allo 2 – 'The Camembert Caper' is as gloriously cheesy and entertaining as its predecessor.

It's hard to put into context just how good Courts are, and the company is certainly no one-trick pony.

After the success of Allo Allo 1, Courts returned very quickly in May with a much lesser-known production, Cash on Delivery – it was just as triumphant.

And taking centre stage in both productions was Ian Benson, a relative newcomer to the Courts catalogue of players. In May last year I wrote 'he was memorably brilliant as René in Allo, Allo! in February. And it's staggering that less than four months later he was back on the boards delivering another outstanding performance.'

Well tonight, he delivered the hat-trick. I am sure he is a self-effacing bloke who will play down his role and pay tribute to the rest of the cast, but all I can say is that if ever the TV big guns go looking for a replacement for the wonderful, much-missed Gorden Kaye, the search can end right now.

Ian's not just got great presentation skills and timing, his ability to ad-lib (always an attribute in amateur productions when things go wrong) is tremendous. I think if he stood on the stage on his own and read from the British Rail timetable, he would have the audience in tears of laughter. I've said it before, and I'm not ashamed to say it more than once, the man is a tour-de-force.

But this production is, as ever, not just about one person. It's about a tremendous ensemble, front and backstage of house, who bring real joy to our wonderful local theatre.

The cast of last year's Allo, Allo production.

Directed by borough legend Vic Gray, who also appears, it really is the sum of all its parts.

And what parts they are. This is a show that has its roots in television, and the characters in it can only ever really be compared to their small screen counterparts. There are big shoes (or stilettoes and suspenders) to fill for any company taking to the stage because the originals are so embedded in our memory.

But everyone in this local stage production passes muster.

It's hard to come up with a pecking order for the principal players.

Ian, as René Artois obviously hogs centre stage, but he is surrounded by class acts. Lauren Jones as Yvette is tremendous. I've dug deep for adjectives to describe her performance and opulent is probably the best I can come up with.

She's simply magnificent and amazingly daring. Her character's surname gives her Carte Blanche and boy, does she act with complete freedom and inhibition!

Yvette's sexual nemesis and rival for René's affections is the diminutive blonde Mimi Labonq, and Sophie Nash pitches her interpretation of the character perfectly.

A triumvirate of sexual temptresses is completed by Private Helga Geerhart, the loved-up Gestapo  seductress, and Ann-Marie Patterson delivers every aspect of her multi-faceted role as a straight-laced, secretary, double-agent and lace-wearing bombshell with aplomb.

The two remaining female principals are René's wife Edith and the Resistance leader Michelle Dubois.

Christina Ashford delivers Edith's character in spades, including an ear-crunchingly, appalling song that had the enthusiastic audience in tears of laughter. Brilliant!

Torie Grayling, who is the phantom-like Michelle, cemented the story-line with an understated performance that worked well. I've seen Torie in the full-on spotlight and she's terrific but here she was balanced and a truly hard-working member of a consummate cast.

Which is the secret of Courts. It's not about the glory, it's about the composition.

But every composition does have differing shades and balance. Flitting in and out of the limelight is the elasticated Josh Handley as Lieutenant Hubert Gruber. When the spotlight's on Josh, he rarely fails to deliver and he certainly catches the eye in this production. I am looking forward to his directorial role in Courts' next production, 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'. That's a challenging piece of work and it will be interesting to see how he brings his undoubted on stage skills to bear from the conductor's rostrum.

In any amateur review I like to try and mention everyone but with 17 key performers in this show we might be here all night. So I'll sum up by saying Harry Doyle (Monsieur Leclerc), Dawn Peat (Madame Fanny), Kevin Watts (Monsieur Alphons), Jim Wilkinson (Col von Strom), Michael Southgate (Capt Geering – 'Klopf'), George Andelon (Otto Flick), Trevor Povey ( Gen von Klinkerhoffen), Michael Wills (Lt Fairfax) and Chay Appleyard (Lt Carstairs) all make substantive contributions., This really is the sum of all its parts.

That leaves one of my favourite Courts Players, Wayne Prince, who can rise to many challenges. Speaking French in this instance may not be one of them - "I admit my Fronch cod be butter" – but he's a belting Officer Crabtree.

Congratulations one and all to all those involved. I'm sure it will be another production on the Noda tick-list and if you've got the chance to catch one of three remaining performances, give it a go.

If you don't it could be 'Whadda mistake-a to make-a'.  Though we didn't see Captain Bertorelli in Courts' guise this year. Maybe next time?!

• Friday 14 February 2025 at 7:45pm
• Saturday 15 February 2025 at 3:45pm
• Saturday 15 February 2025 at 7:45pm

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I'll end by highlighting what I am sure most people who see it will never forget. The Can-Can number is one of the most ridiculously funny things I have ever seen on stage. I'm not going to spoil it with a description, if you want to see it, get booked up. Truly, truly memorable.