Multi-award winner David Benson has led an all-star cast in a new audio recording of the Frankie Howerd comedy classic, ‘Up Pompeii’. 

The show was performed at the Shaw Theatre and recorded for audio release.

Revisiting the world of Frankie Howerd from his accclaimed one-man stage show, ‘To Be Frank’, David Benson donned the toga to play one of Frankie’s greatest comedy roles -  Lurcio the ancient Roman slave. 

Also appearing were Frazer Hines as Ludicrus Sextus, Cleo Rocos as Suspenda, Tim Brooke-Taylor OBE as Captain Treacherus, Jack Lane as Nausius, Madeline Smith as Ammonia, Camille Coduri as Voluptua, Rosa Coduri as Erotica, Jilly Breeze as Senna, Ben Perkins as Corneous and Barnaby Eaton-Jones (Producer/Director) as Kretinus.

Welcome to ancient Rome, where the steps of the Forum are peopled by nubile slave girls and a range of outrageous characters including Lurcio’s owner, Ludicrus Sextus the Senator, his wife Ammonia, his son Nausius and his daughter, Erotica. Lurcio attempts to deliver his prologue and begin proceedings before he’s quickly caught up in the myriad of sexual liaisons in all quarters of his master’s house. Why does Ludicrus not leave for the Senate meeting in Rome? Why does his wife return so quickly from the country? Who will take care of the escaped slave girl, Voluptua, and will Nausius’s love poetry improve? Whilst growing chaos ensues, an increasing rumbling is heard in the distance – what could that possibly be? 

‘Up Pompeii’ was a huge TV hit for Frankie, with a loyal following of 12 million viewers. As Lurcio, Frankie constantly broke the fourth wall, taking the audience into his confidence with a non-stop barrage of double entendres and risqué gags, all of which go unheard by the other characters. 

This new feature-length audio revival by Spiteful Puppet will be released on CD and download via Amazon, iTunes and spitefulpuppet.com in late November. 

‘Up Pompeii’ is adapted from the successful spin-off stage play by Miles Tredinnick, and was based on the original characters and BBC TV scripts devised by Talbot Rothwell (a scriptwriter for the ‘Carry On’ films) and Sid Colin. The audio adaptation was written by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, with Daniel McGachy and Iain McLaughlin; by kind permission of Tessa Le Bars Management. 

David Benson first became well known for his one-man stage show, ‘Think No Evil of Us: My Life with Kenneth Williams’, about the life and career of the late actor, for which he won the  Scotsman’s Fringe First award in 1996; and for his TV role as Noël Coward in the 1990s BBC comedy series ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’. When not touring in the theatre he worked on BBC radio, including playing the character parts in the science fiction comedy series ‘The Scarifyers’. He now has a dozen one-man shows in his theatrical repertoire, with which he tours, including ‘Think No Evil Of Us: My Life With Kenneth Williams’, ‘Nothing But Pleasure (a.k.a. Mourning Glory)’, ‘To Be Frank: Frankie Howerd and The Secret of Happiness’, ‘Star Struck: A Fantasy Celebrity Party’ ‘David Benson’s Haunted Stage’ ‘It’s A Plot: David Benson’s Conspiracy Cabaret’, ‘Why Pay More’,  ‘David Benson’s Christmas Party’ ‘Doctor Whom: My Search for Samuel Johnson’, ‘David Benson sings Noel Coward’ and the two productions which he premiered at Edinburgh in 2010, ‘The Singalong Glee Club’ and ‘Lockerbie: Unfinished Business’.