Les Hall Productions' First Show - Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell!
Les Hall Productions are getting ready for their first show.
Rehearsals are well underway with the Les Hall productions’ first show, ‘Jeffery Bernard is Unwell’ by Keith Waterhouse at the Leslie Town Hall. It is a darkly comic, autobiographical play that distils the chaotic, boozy life of journalist Jeffrey Bernard into a single night locked inside his favourite pub, The Coach and Horses. When originally performed in 1989 it proved to be a highly successful vehicle for its original star, Peter O’Toole.
Bernard was a real-life journalist whose ‘Low Life’ column appeared in The Spectator magazine. Whenever he was unable to produce the required article, and no substitute article could be found in the time available, the magazine printed a one-line apology stating, ‘Jeffery Bernard is unwell’. The play was written by his friend, the author, Keith Waterhouse, and was first performed when Bernard was still alive!
The play unfolds as Bernard, having had at least one too many, has fallen asleep in the gents’ loo. Unfortunately, no one realises he is in there when the pub is locked up for the evening. He awakes to realise that he is locked in and, with the assistance of a bottle of vodka, reminisces on his life. He shares a range of anecdotes with the audience, some of which are acted out, as he recounts memories of a lifetime of misadventures, marked by heavy drinking, failed marriages, eccentric friendships, and a stubborn refusal to behave. The play evolves into a celebration of flawed humanity, artistic mischief, and the peculiar dignity of someone who insisted on telling the truth about himself—even when it hurt!
The show is being performed by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd at the Leslie Town Hall on August 21 and 22, 2026 at 7.30pm each evening. Tickets are priced at £15 but an early bird offer of £12 is available now until Friday 31st July. These are available from the Leslie Town Hall box office either in person or on 07912 602764, or from www.ticketsource.com/leslietownhall where a Booking Fee will apply.