...by folk star and comedy veteran Mike Harding

Folk singer and comedian Mike Harding - dubbed 'the Rochdale Cowboy' - is also a playwright and the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham will be presenting his 'riotous comedy' Comfort and Joy during December, as an alternative to the seasonal panto. Director Mary Deane explains why

What can you tell us about the playwright and the play.

Mike Harding famously known to most of us as the 'Rochdale Cowboy' started his career as a musician but decided on filling in the gaps whilst his band set up with jokes. Finding that the audience enjoyed this, he developed this part of his act. Consequently Mike is a musician, comedian, author, poet and playwright and presented the 'Mike Harding Folk Show on Radio 2 for many years. His work for the theatre includes 'Fur Coat No Knickers', 'Last Tango in Whitby' and 'Not with a Bang'. Comfort and Joy was written in 1998 and was first performed at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, directed by Nottingham Playhouse's very own panto veteran Kenneth Alan Taylor.

What do you think makes this play popular with audiences at Christmas?

It is the story of Christmas in the Duggan household which disintegrates into chaos. Martin and Margaret are yet again hosting the festivities and again hoping for 'the perfect Christmas' but they've an open door policy so there are whacky neighbours and estranged relatives who turn up. The audience will at least leave with the hope that their Christmas will not be quite as chaotic as the one just witnessed.

Have there been any particular problems in staging this play?

Stylistically it is challenging, falling somewhere between the sitcoms 'The Royal Family' and 'Fawlty Towers. At moments, there are elements of naturalism conflicting with the bizarre, but needs to be performed with energy and spontaneity which I think the cast have achieved admirably. The play seems to be performed largely by amateur companies.

Read the original article here.