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This sequel to 'Ladies Day' continues the story of the four workers from a Hull fish filleting factory who gatecrashed Ladies Day at Royal Ascot and shared a half-million pound jackpot accumulator win. Now, still struggling to come to terms with their new-found wealth, the ladies embark on a life-affirming trip of a lifetime to Australia. After a marathon flight, and revelling in the luxury of the Gold Coast, they embark on a journey of discovery taking in the sights of Uluru and the Sydney gay-rights Mardi Gras along the way. As their journey comes to an end, each faces a choice that will affect the course of their future lives.
The same cast, with one new addition, that brought the first instalment to the Wy Playhouse two years ago returned in this very funny sequel. The story follows on from the original ended as we learn how the four factory girls coped with their windfall and follow them on a trip 'down under'.
At first glance it seems a bit twee and obvious to send our heroines off on a luxury holiday, and one might well expect that this would be little more than a cheap shot at a few obvious gags. And yes, with a little effort one could have come up with a multitude of more imaginative destinations. But, even if the material is a little threadbare there is still enough there to retain our interest as we gain a deeper insight into what makes the characters tick than we did in the original.
The exception to that rule is Pearl, ably played by Annie Sawle despite a severe lack of material, who comes across as singularly one-dimensional - when she is not fading into the background altogether! Jan, played by Sue McCormick, fares rather better as she struggles with the dissatisfaction of having lived her life for others and comes to the life-changing decision that it is time to start living for herself. Likewise, shopaholic 'tart with a heart' Shelley, played by Jemma Walker, shows us more of her vulnerable side and that her craving for the high-life and frustrated dreams of becoming a model are failing to fill the void inside her. But coming right to the fore in the this second instalment is Linda, the least worldly of the foursome who finds her wealth more of an embarrasment than a reward. In fact it is a show-stealing performance from Lucy Beaumont as Linda that really carries this production and raises it anywhere above the strictly mediocre. Her deadpan naivety and devastating comic timing in delivering her casually child-like observations bring most of the biggest laughs in the piece.
Martin Barrass who played all the male roles in the earlier story is this time time ably assisted by Damien Warren-Smith as they each play a number of characters ranging from Jan's factory foreman boyfriend from the original episode to a spliff addled British ex-patriate, to an Aussie surfer dude and a tea-total biker version of Crocodile Dundee. The climax, in which they appear with the ladies as a couple of Australian queens starts out as embarrasingly grotesque but surprisingly grows on you as it develops, and when it gets to the musical number actually becomes the high point of the show.
On the latter note, the soundtrack is quite impressive and works well to reinforce the many diverse scenes - with of course the obligatory contribution from Kylie!
Overall, this is not groundbreaking stuff. What it is is easy unassuming entertainment that, if taken purely on those terms, works well enough.
An unblushing piece of hokum that demands little from the observer and delivers some good humour in a passable evenings entertainment.