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REVIEW

Evening Post
December 3rd, 2009
The Brewery

Mrs Gerrish's Christmas Stockings

“Humorous production is a stocking thriller.”
...A gloriously chaotic Christmas proceeds as they’re joined by larger-than-life Texan Hank, grapple fan Murrary McMurrary, toff Thomas Terry and Fred’s lady friend Marjory – all played by the decidedly versatile Ross Harvey.
And there’s even a guest appearance by Queen Elizabeth herself, who’s enjoyed a memorable experience at Fatty Wedlock’s infamous boozer...
Natalie Hale

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SOLD OUT

Why not book this sell-out show for next year?

“The MOE’s performances always make you laugh… what could be better, especially at Christmas!” Evening Post

Written by Mike Akers & Joe Hobbs. Music by Kit Morgan. Performed by Kate McNab, Ross Harvey & Fred Wedlock.

Mrs Gerrish’s guesthouse is fully booked for Christmas when an unexploded bomb is found in the garden. As a last resort she takes herself and her guests and invades the gloomy house of her brother Fred – the Scrooge of Bedminster! Fred’s plans for a decidedly non-festive season are cast to the winds that whistle up North Street by his sister and her hilariously outrageous friends – to say nothing of the amorous advances of the magnificent Marjory from work. Gradually his humbug is sucked into a more pleasing shape – like that Henry Moore sculpture they saw at the Festival of Britain. Caught up by the Spirits of Christmas he even puts on a paper hat and allows his sister to deck his hall with boughs of that artificial holly she got up Staple Hill for 2/11d a sprig. They carol their way through Christmas Eve with Mrs. Gerrish hoping that Santa will put a bit more in her stocking than the usual walnuts, satsumas and Eat-Me dates. However, Christmas Day is destined to be more special than anyone could have imagined!

MRS. G. HANGS HER STOCKINGS AT:

Now booking

The Ministry of Entertainment was formed by two actors, Kate McNab and Joe Hobbs, to produce theatre based on oral histories from the era of the Second World War. They had met in 1997 during Bristol Old Vic’s premier run of Up the Feeder, Down the Mouth which was directed by Andy Hay and written by A.C.H. Smith about Bristol Docks from the stories of the dockers themselves. During the run Joe and Kate persuaded fellow performer Kit Morgan to be musical director for their new venture.

Radio Bristol ran a series of programmes following the progress of the planned first production Keep Smiling Through and many phoned in volunteering their stories and family anecdotes. Joe and Kate set about interviewing housewives, wardens, factory workers, G.I.s and those who were children at the time. ‘The Ministry’ wanted to reach as many who remembered the days of the Home Front as possible and so touring over three years was widespread over the West of England in a variety of venues, from theatres to village halls and back again to Bristol Old Vic where it sold out in 2002.

By this time Joe Hobbs had been replaced by Ross Harvey who had played Kate’s husband in Up The Feeder and it was time to collect more stories for the second planned production Doodlebugs and Bogeymen which was eventually written by Joe Hobbs and which Kate and Ross started touring in September 2002 with Kit Morgan remaining part of the team.

As one theatregoer put it “If it’s The Ministry of Entertainment you know it will be excellent theatre, great humour and lovely music”.

"Kate McNab  has the voice of a ship´s siren!" 
The Independent