JAMIE Rees’ touching and turbulent portrayal of one of Britain’s most recognisable comic actors was rewarded with a well-deserved standing ovation at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, on Friday (November 7).

Written by Dave Ainsworth, Oh Hello! charted Carry On actor Charles Hawtrey’s life over several decades, and his transformation from a leading light of British film to a lonely and bitter old man.

Despite being famous as part of a comedy collective, Hawtrey was a man very much alone, and the decision to make this a one-man show felt symbolic.

The intimate format allowed the audience to take on the role of confidante, sharing in the highs and lows of Hawtrey’s private life.

After a darkly arresting intro – a hint at things to come - Rees sashayed onto stage, instantly nailing Hawtrey’s affected purr, and making clear his penchant for a tipple.

From his effeminate pose - knees tight together, arms gesturing extravagantly - to his shrill laugh and acid tongue, Rees had clearly spent a lot of time studying Hawtrey.

Mirroring the progression of Hawtrey’s own career, the show began with lots of laughs, the audience revelling in backstage gossip and quick-fired displays of his arch wit.

But, as work dried up, and Hawtrey became overshadowed by his co-stars Kenneth Williams and Sid James, knocking back the occasional ‘lemonade’ was no longer enough to take the edge off.

And it was in his depiction of Hawtrey’s painful and – at times pitiful - descent into alcoholism that Rees’ dedication to the role became clear.

Bitter at being poorly paid and not making top-billing anymore, Hawtrey became resentful of his colleagues, and obsessed with his former glory.

“I was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, you know,” he cried again and again; “I caught a lift with Laurence Olivier.”

Through several scathing and well-executed impressions of Kenneth Williams, whose views on Hawtrey’s ‘open’ approach to his own homosexuality were at odds with Williams’, Rees also reminded us that – despite becoming famous for playing unashamedly camp characters - life was not easy as a gay man at that time.

And despite being a household name, his years of bile and paranoia towards those around him meant that, when he really needed help, no-one was there to comfort him.

Aged 73, a sickly and shrunken Hawtrey was given a choice whether to have both legs amputated, or die. He refused the operation.

“I’ve been legless more times than you’ve had hot dinners,” Rees quipped dryly, eliciting the last, painful laugh of the evening.

Dave Ainsworth and Jamie Rees should be proud of this heart-breaking and well-researched piece of theatre.

A moving and believable picture of a man unable to cope with no longer being a star, it could just as easily have been called: “Don’t you know who I am?”