From The Top Theatre Company – Blackadder II
Shenstone Village Hall
Wednesday 2nd September 2026 – Opening Night
By Nigel Gambles
Photography –Get Creative
I have never been a great fan of Blackadder on television, so when I was invited to review this production, I accepted with a little trepidation. Thankfully, those doubts were very quickly swept aside as From The Top Theatre Company delivered a wonderfully produced, superbly performed and genuinely hilarious evening of theatre.
Set during the reign of the wonderfully unpredictable Queen Elizabeth I, Blackadder II follows the sharp-tongued Edmund Blackadder as he tries to remain in Queenie’s favour—and, more importantly, keep his head firmly attached to his shoulders. His efforts are rarely helped by his filthy, dim-witted servant Baldrick, the hopelessly naïve Lord Percy, or the pompous Lord Melchett.
Across three gloriously chaotic comic predicaments, Blackadder becomes jealous of a celebrated explorer and embarks on a thoroughly ill-advised voyage of his own; finds himself deeply in debt to the terrifying, baby-eating Bishop of Bath and Wells; and attempts to entertain fiercely puritanical relatives while hosting a riotous drinking contest under the same roof. Naturally, he tries to escape each disaster through lies, manipulation and increasingly desperate “cunning plans”—most of which are endangered by Baldrick’s spectacular stupidity.
Dan Barnes was perfect as Blackadder, playing the cynical but intelligent anti-hero with style and flourish. Dave Crump’s Baldrick was fantastic: stupid but fiercely loyal, with comic timing that was spot-on and used to excellent effect in the opening of the show, as the company quickly found its confident rhythm on the first night.
Simon K Baker embodied Lord Percy’s pompous, incredibly dim-witted and excitable aristocratic sidekick beautifully, while Deb Crump captured Queenie’s childish, bloodthirsty and temperamental personality perfectly. Her interaction with Jodie Cockeram’s Nursie was a particular delight.
Andy Betterley got Lord Melchett’s pompous, flattering and sycophantic traits absolutely right, delivering his grovelling devotion to Queenie to comic perfection. Eliza del Cisne gave an enthusiastic performance as Bob/Kate, Blackadder’s new manservant, bringing plenty of confusion over her true identity. And Elliot Beech’s outrageously over-the-top Lord Flashheart very nearly stole the show at the end—though you will have to see it for yourself to discover exactly how.
There were so many excellent performances that it would take far too long to mention everyone individually; genuinely, I do not believe there was a weak link in the cast. The whole company worked seamlessly as a group, delivering every line with the comic timing needed to keep the virtually sold-out audience thoroughly entertained.
The rapid and numerous scene changes were handled without a hitch, helping the three stories flow at a terrific pace. Lighting from Going Dark Theatrical Services added perfectly to the atmosphere and the overall look of the production. Above all, the direction from Dave Crump and Rosie Coles was assured throughout, evident in the pace, staging and the confidence of this wonderful cast.
This was a delightful, fast-moving and very funny production from From The Top Theatre Company—and, as someone who approached it with reservations, I left Shenstone Village Hall thoroughly won over.
