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Exit Theatre Co-op performed Sue Townsend’s Internationally best-selling early 80’s novel “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾”, about a teenage boy and the turbulent adolescence that he charts in his ‘secret’ diary. This critically acclaimed play had the added bonus of lots of music and popular songs packed into it and was a huge success for EXIT.

About the play

"Adrian Mole"

"The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾" is a fictional diary of a teenage boy. In his secret diary, Adrian Mole excruciatingly details morsel of a year in his turbulent adolescent life from aged 13¾ - 14¾.

This version of Sue Townsend's internationally best selling book was originally staged at the Phoenix Arts theatre, Leicester in September 1984, it was subsequently staged at Wyndham's Theatre, London in December 1984.

Although music and songs are used throughout the play, it is not a 'musical' in the traditional sense, in that the actors stay very much in character  whilst they sing and the action of the play continues.

The Director Gill Butler took many of the original lyrics and adapted them to fit popular songs pf the period. In this way we hoped to make the play more accessible and entertaining for a modern audience.

This Proved to be the case as we had excellent attendances and both critical and audience acclaim for this production.

Director:                  Gill Butler

Cast:

  Croydon Advertiser Review October 25th 2002 by Theo Spring
“The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾” Braithwaite, Croydon Clocktower

“The characters in Adrian’s secret diary are well known to many, thanks to the popularity of Sue Townsend’s best-selller, and the cast did not disappoint in bringing them to life. Setting an untidy, scruffy home in the panelled grandeur of the Braithwaite Hall took some ingenuity. Huge sheets hung from the gallery to create walls garishly wallpapered, rostra raised both Mr. and Mrs. Mole and Adrian’s bedroom above the living room and kitchen. The floor space left became school, Bert Baxter’s House, the Nursing Home at al, all speedily created with just a few pieces of furniture or the flick of a single supported panel. The home itself was a masterly creation. Colours glared; the bedspreads and kitchen shouted ‘unclean’. How could a sensitive teenager evolve out of this chaos, particularly an intellectual one? Tim Croton’s characterisation was immensely watchable. Overcoming the fact that he is quite tall, it was a small, puny Adrian we saw, hiding behind enormous black-rimmed glasses, which were a constant worry to him. Although not a musical as such, the characters do express their feelings in song, usually a well known one, with altered words. Thus we had, among others, The House of the Rising Sun as The House Where I Live, the whole Mole family commenting on Talking in Your Sleep, and the plea Don’t Go Breaking My Heart from Adrian and Pandora. Adrian’s parents, the sexy Pauline and couch potato George Mole were vividly characterised by Amanda Lockerbie and Graham Butler, with lounge lizard lover Mr. Lucas, complete with shell suit, played by Mark Vinson. Adrian’s with-it schoolfriend Nigel (Ed Fidele) was disco king and his bullying enemy (Brian Butler) happily sang Another One Bites the Dust as he brutally exhorted protection money. Stooped, with bad legs and his father’s teeth, the OAP Bert Baxter combined aggression and affection in Phil Carter’s hands, and Rebecca Twomey was the haughty, ambitious Pandora. Gill Butler directed this warm and funny play, doubling on the soundboard to make sure the many vital sound cues came in faultlessly.”

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