At A Glance It's purely British and I can just imagine the 'Carry On Gang' getting their hands on this one. "Arthur's Dyke" is one of those films you wish people of all ages could enjoy but the sad fact is that "Arthur's Dyke" is best suited to those in the fourty plus set for the life experiences depicted in this well done British comedy would be wasted on the young. This really is adult entertainment with an emphisis on entertaining. And if those faces look familiar, you're right. If you've enjoyed watching the many British television productions which have appeared on the tellie, you'll recognize those in the cast. There's Warren Clarke who has played Detective Superintendent Andy Dalziel for a decade in Dalziel and Pascoe; Pauline Quirke who plays Sharon Theodopolopoudos in "Birds of a Feather"; who has been seen in episodes of "Fresh Fields", "Birds of a Feather", "Heartbeat" and "Pie in the Sky"; Richard Graham who has been seen in episodes of "Heartbeat", "Silent Witness", "The Bill", "A Touch of Frost", "Pie in the Sky" and "Inspector Morse"; the very familiar face of Dennis Waterman who starred in "The Sweeney", "Sweeney 2", and perhaps his most memorable television series "Minder" [1979-1989] co starring with Arthur Cole as Terry McCann and; Rebecca Lacey who has appeared in episodes of "The Bill", "A Touch of Frost", "Fresh Fields" and "The Darling Buds of May". This diverse bunch really gel in "Arthur's Dyke" and even though some of the situations have been exploited over the years, the humour is still there. The transformation of Janet is a joy to watch and Pauline Quirke produces a believable performance, down to earth and totally suburban. Then there is the disintergration of the long standing 'friendship' between Arthur, Geoffrey and Andy. The catalyst for this is the gregarious Arthur who loves the company of women but strikes out constantly as opposed to Geoffrey who is meeting the beautiful blonde Phillipa for a romp at every B & B the group overnights in. Then there's Andy. He's recovering from , or hoping to recover from [depending on his state of mind] bowel cancer. Andy has a secret he's kept all these years and he can't wait much longer. He really has to tell Arthur. Add to this the very camp performance by Warren Clarke as Doug, the owner of a very upmarket establishment and you have a sniff of how much fun to expect from "Arthur's Dyke". But there's another bonus. A big bonus. It's that wonderous Welsh scenery. It nearly steals the show. As Movie Pages Fan Dianne from seaside Hallett Cove wrote after seeing the film at Trak Cinema's special Movie Pages promotion; "The scenery was great even with all the mud. It definitely makes you feel like going on a walking holiday in Wales and staying at all the quaint country pubs". And she definately enjoyed the humour noting "it's all in the delivery". And that is the truth of it. Arthurs Dyke delivers. The characters are a treat to watch, the scenery is beautiful, the B & B's are inviting and there's laughs galore. Cast & Crew Bytes "Arthur's Dyke" was Directed by Gerry Poulson ["Under The Doctor" and "Stanley's Dragon"], the producers are Ron Bareham ["Under The Doctor" and "Buddy's Song"] and Steve Sheen ["Arthur's Dyke"], the screenplay was written by Robb Stringle ["Arthur's Dyke"], the original music is by Francis Haines ["Split Second", "Love In Paris" and "Conspiracy of Silence"] filmed under Director of Photography Seamus Corcoran ["Christmas Morning" and "The Outcasts"] and edited by Paddy Payne ["Drifting", "A Car Stopped ...." and "The Lake"].
"Arthur's Dyke" stars Pauline Quirke ["Little Dorrit", "Getting It Right", "Our Boy and "Checkout Girl"], Dennis Waterman ["Fright", "Snowball", "Cold Justice" and "Vol-au-vent"], Richard Graham ["The Bounty", "My Beautiful Laundrette", "Titanic" and "Bravo Two Zero"], Nicholas Farrell ["Chariots Of Fire", "Dead Lucky", "Beautiful People" and "Bloody Sunday"], Rebecca Lacey ["Carry On Columbus"], Warren Clarke ["A Clockwork Orange", "From A Far Country", "Crusoe" and "Angels"] and Robert Dawes ["Arthur's Dyke"] as Arthur. The Story A funny, poignant, thought-provoking story of four very people who set out on the longest walk of their lives and discover more than the beauty of Wales. Arthur, Geoffrey and Andy first walked the 177 miles of Offa's Dyke twenty years ago while studying law together at university. Elated at completing the journey they vowed to repeat the walk. Now some twenty years later they are about to fulfill their promise to each other and re-enact the walk. But this time the motley crew are joined by a stranger, a forty year old wife and mother going through a mid-life crisis. Janet feels unwanted. Her tradesman husband is ignoring her, choosing instead to go running with the trendy gorgeous next door neighbour, while her daughter takes Janet for granted. She's had enough. After seeing Offa's Dyke on the tellie, Janet decides to show them what she is really capable of. And as the miles pass in a haze of pouring rain, screaming rows, hilarious encounters and dodgy B&B's, our intrepid travellers discover hidden depths, long-buried antagonism and secret passions and an unlikely friendship. Along the way they stumble across some nubile Swedish nymphets, a dead body, a battalion of squaddies, a pub full of Clint Eastwood lookalikes and a mystery man. The Verdict "If it's laughs you want, look no further than "Arthur's Dyke" the latest British comedy to hit the big screen. A solid cast makes this one a treat to watch. The characters are wickedly wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, the B & B's are inviting and there's laughs galore. British right down to it's walking boots. "Carry On Up The Walking Trail" with "Arthur's Dyke". Highly Recommended to the fourty plus brigade." The Cast

Pauline Quirke Robert Dawes Richard Graham Nicholas Farrell Warren Clarke Dennis Waterman Brian Conley Rebecca Lacey Stella Gonnet Ellie Beaven Emily Key Ian Lindsay Francesca Hall Dafyyd Hywel Stella Moray Leo Marvel

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Janet Arthur Andy Geoffrey Doug Doubleday Dave Philippa Celia Carys Susie Twitcher Pat Detective Mrs Riddington Nutter

The Crew Directed by Gerry Poulson Written by Robb Stringle Produced by Ron Bareham & Steve Sheen Associate Producer by Dympna Holland Original Music by Francis Haines Cinematography by Seamus Corcoran Casting by Angela Grosvenor/Peter Wooldridge/Susan Wooldridge Edited by Paddy Payne Production Design by Art Direction by Humphrey Bangham & Helen Scott Costume Design by Jeanette Farrier Run Time 114 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Evolution Films Limited - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved