Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend

As a teenager during the eighties I grew up with the Adrian Mole books and I was skeptical as to whether a concept so tied to that era would resonate today.
Director Ailsa Travers is renowned for ‘period pieces’ but captured this recent historical piece very nicely.
Costumes were flamboyant and accurate and the settings, on Kevan Hooke’s clever multiple set, were as I remember the time.
In the title role was Sam Tye, an earnest and believable young actor, he owned this production and lit up every scene – a notable achievement in a show with a theme of unrelenting doom.
A large ensemble worked well together. It was good to see Leon Ousby return to the stage after a long absence from Perth. More mature characters, Grandma (Heather Stewart) and Bert (Paul Anderson) were especially charming and Celeste Underhill’s appearances as Celeste Slater all too brief. Janelle Hammond played two diverse roles convincingly.
Some promising performers were produced by the younger cast members, including Mahalia Bowles as Pandora, Ian Griffin as Nigel and canine performer Pixie.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole was something a bit different for Stirling and with a script that overlooks some of the more overt contemporary references of the original, despite the setting, it feels relevant to today.
Kimberley Shaw

Image: Sam Tye and Mahalia Bowles in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.