A PACKED audience filled Salisbury Playhouse for the opening night of Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie on Tuesday.

Narrator Lee, played by Richard Derrington, recounts his upbringing in rural Gloucestershire just after the First World War. Susie Blake is excellent as Laurie’s adored mother Annie, who is left to bring up seven children alone.

The stage was chaotic and lively from the start, effectively portraying the essence of erratic family life. It was helpful to have the narrator to bring a sense of order and make it easier to follow.

Younger cast members played the roles of Lee’s sisters, brothers, grannies, school friends and others brilliantly.

The stage was fantastic, giving a nostalgic, country feel. It was easy to follow the journey through frosty winters, summer picnics, scenes inside the Lee’s family home, a bar, a classroom, and of course the cider-fuelled encounter with Rosie.

Charlie Hamblett put in a brilliant performance as the younger Laurie, known as Loll, and he and the narrator worked seemingly effortlessly together towards a moving conclusion.

The first half portrays a somewhat rose-tinted view of village life but other, more sinister topics, including severe illness, death and rape were sensitively portrayed.

There were joyous musical interludes and an underlying theme of comedy throughout, ensuring that the overall feeling was one of nostalgia.

* The play runs until Saturday evening, with matinées on Thursday and Saturday at 2.15pm.

HANNAH WHITE