Set in 1947, when rations were in short supply and belts were tight in the austere days of post-war Britain, Betty Blue Eyes is a hilarious tale that revolves around a loveable pig. Betty is being reared illegally to provide a forbidden feast for local personages to celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth.
Everyone else must make do with Spam, and the country is in the grip of the worst winter in many decades, adding to the misery of Britain’s long-suffering citizens. The government is promising fair shares for everyone in return for surviving the hardships of Austerity Britain, but certain local bureaucrats are lining their pockets with much more than they’re entitled to. Although Britain has won the war, the peace seems to have been lost, and the country reels under the burdens of high unemployment and severe rationing.
Based on Malcolm Mowbray and Alan Bennett’s side-splitting film, A Private Function, this entirely British musical production is chock-a-block with wonderfully peculiar characters and has a delectably droll script by Drewe and Stiles. Betty Blue Eyes will have audiences rolling in the aisles with its wry humour and unique characters, and should not be missed.
