Review: The Peaceful Hour 2 at Liverpool's Royal Court ***1/2

Back in the day, many a Merseysider would make a late-night date with Radio City’s The Peaceful Hour – tuning in to drop off to its soothing musical vibes and the dulcet tones of one Pete Price Esq.

It means before anyone even reaches for the radio dial on stage, there’s an immediate layer of nostalgia which underpins The Peaceful Hour 2, playwright Gerry Linford’s amiable, knockabout late night-set sequel to the titular comedy which was premiered at the Royal Court 12 months ago.

Audiences who saw the original show will be au fait with its cast of characters and their situations.

As for the uninitiated (along with the forgetful), they are quickly brought up to speed thanks to the nifty conceit of a catch-up prologue in the form of a Jackie photo story, which unfolds on the giant video screen forming the backdrop to designer Christ McCourt’s simple linear set.

It’s the late 1980s, a time of big shoulder pads and big hair, and 12 months after Carl (Lenny Wood) asked Ange (Angela Simms) to marry him, it’s the eve of the big day.

While bride-to-be Ange is fretting at home in a Kirkby tower block with sister Julie (Ellie Clayton, in fine voice) and redoubtable mum Edna (Julie Glover), Carl is off goodness knows where with a motley collection of stags including best man Tommy (Michael Hawkins complete with ‘tache) and Julie’s posh and somewhat prissy student boyfriend ‘townie’ Tim (George Turner).

What could possibly go wrong?

Above: Edna (Julie Glover), Ange (Angela Simms) and Julie (Ellie Clayton) in The Peaceful Hour 2. Top: Ange and Carl (Lenny Wood). Photos by Andrew AB Photography.

It’s not so much a nice day for a white wedding as shaping up to be a right old Scouse wedding as the gormless groom (and no one does gormless better than Wood) and his mates get embroiled in a spot of bother with a holdall and a local drug-dealer and the fall out reaches the already bickering bridal party on the eleventh floor.

The stage is certainly set, although the first half takes a while to get into its groove. A home pedicure to turn the stomach aside - chapeau to Julie Glover for a masterclass in nonchalant physical comedy - it’s only really when Nathan McMullen’s Frankie, a swaggering, Adidas-clad hard man with an unexpected sentimental streak, turns up on the doorstep, groom in headlock and looking for his property, that it really catches fire.

McMullen turbo-charges proceedings which come to a calamitous, frenzied and properly funny climax on the tower block's external walkway. It's a climax which is a hair-raising experience for Hawkins’ hapless Tommy but also leaves the audience dangling as the show hits the break.

Above: Nathan McMullen (Frankie) and cast in The Peaceful Hour 2. Photo by Andrew AB Photography

Later on, McMullen’s gangster is removed from proceedings, somewhat strangely never to be spoken of again until the final minutes although there’s still some obvious evidence of his existence. Maybe it was all just a bizarre cheese dream.

Instead, Linford refocuses his attention on the ‘happy’ couple and their bumpy road to wedded bliss – Simms and Wood, always very watchable, have the chance here to bring some emotional heart to proceedings, albeit with a comedy pay off - while there's a parallel sub-plot heart-to-heart involving Clayton and Turner’s seemingly star-crossed lovers.

It’s all ultimately tied together in a neat-ish bow although, as McCourt’s kitchen and sitting room set remains in situ throughout, the action finishes as it begins, on screen (keep your eye peeled for a cameo appearance) and you’re left momentarily wondering if there’s more to come.