A tragicomedy of sorts and just the antidote to all the Christmas excess . . . is even more excess . . .

Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell – which visits The Ashcroft Centre, Fareham, from January 15-17 – is a somewhat enigmatic title which obscures the fact that this is a very funny and at the same time sad portrayal of a character who had the intellect to write – and the capacity to drink.

Jeffrey Bernard was a sometime journalist on two of the nation’s most recognisable journals, The Sporting Life and The Spectator.

His predisposition for horse racing, gambling, pubs and women leave his life in an alcoholic maelstrom. The premise of the play is that you get to hear some of the stories, long and short, from this messy life as Jeffrey finds himself locked in his favourite pub all night.

In fact, interestingly enough, the play is knitted together solely from the articles that Jeffrey Bernard wrote during his ‘career’ and this is cleverly done by Keith Waterhouse to create a flowing narrative and plenty of humour.

Rick Reid as Jeffrey undertakes a lead role of extraordinary length and self-inflicted solitude: “Funnily enough,” Rick tells us, “the more I have studied the play and Jeffrey’s articles over the years in the Spectator I start discovering more of myself in it!

“The play was essentially a vehicle for Peter O’Toole, and although no one could claim to follow in his footsteps, O’Toole did tell Melvyn Bragg once that in fact it was not intended to be an impersonation of Jeffrey Bernard at all.

"I would have to concur with this, as having heard Bernard on the radio, he comes across as a less dynamic character than O’Toole led us to believe.

“That said, the show certainly has to be full of energy as I’m not sure anyone could stand listening to me for that long!”

It is not a one-man show however, as five creative and talented actors play the parts of the numerous characters that Jeffrey calls into his head while reminiscing over his past.

Rick added: “We have put together this show under the group title of ‘Lord Chamberpot’s Men’ with an obvious reference to Shakespeare but this is really too narrow for the works we hope to put on – such as a revival of the Tony Hancock television shows.

“I guess the whole show is about funny anecdotes from his murky life, and although I think I could easily rival Jeffrey’s tales with my own, there was one funny incident in show preparation – I was fully made up as drunken Jeffrey and choosing to shoot pictures in a local pub rather than go all the way to Soho where the play is set, we selected the Golden Lion in Fareham as that most resembling a London pub. Before I could even get served the landlady refused me a drink at the bar as I was obviously legless!

“After my explanation she very kindly let us shoot pictures at and behind the bar and with a cigarette in my mouth too!”

  •  Ashcroft Arts Centre Fareham, January 15-17, £10 7.30pm; hants.gov.uk/ashcroft; box office: 01329 223100.