Theatre/ “Mother and Son”. At Belconnen Community Theatre until June 4. Reviewed by ALANNA MACLEAN 

Hard to believe it’s been 50 years and Tempo Theatre is still going strong.

And Geoffrey Atherden’s play version of his original 1984 TV series Mother and Son is a fitting show for this hard-working group. 

The play updates the suburban world of mother Maggie (Cheryl Browne) and son Arthur (Nigel Palfreman) so it now  includes mobile phones, medical-alert buttons and Indian call centres for Maggie to deal with. She’s still dealing with some form of dementia, though, and Arthur is still her long-suffering carer. 

Favourite son dentist Robert (George Belibassakis) is still as unlikable as ever, and his wife Liz (Rina Onorato) remains ruthless in her dealings with him and everyone else. Their children Bronte (Ireland Pirie) and Jarrod (Leo Richter) only appear in video chats with uncle and grandma but in neither case has the apple fallen far from any parental tree.  The performances clearly indicate that Bronte is spoiled rotten and Jarrod is going to grow up just like his dad. 

At least in this version Arthur has a growing relationship with the cheerfully wise Anita (Laura Blumer) who cares for a disabled brother and therefore has insight into Arthur’s problems with Maggie. 

The Belconnen Community Theatre is a little on the narrow and steep side so it does require that actors play up to the back wall rather more than most of the cast are doing. However, the emphasis is on the gentle and with Palfreman’s quietly exasperated but compassionate Arthur in the lead, the story grows on one. And Cheryl Browne certainly has Maggie down pat. 

There’s a particular dialogue about names and disgraceful young women and their tattoos and bra straps that Browne shares with inmate Monica (Carole Wallace) when she visits a prospective old people’s home. Both actors get enormous fun out of it and so do the audience.

The play brings Arthur and Maggie to some kind of gentle resolution and the end is touching.

If your inclination is to revisit the world of Mother and Son then this might be the show for you.