Stubborn rain may have poked fun at the summer night and its soggy audience at the Castle Gardens, Loose Cannon Theatre did manage to bring sunshine to Chekhov's one-act plays about the unpredictable climate of love.

By MIRANDA YATES

Stubborn rain may have poked fun at the summer night and its soggy audience at the Castle Gardens, Loose Cannon Theatre did manage to bring sunshine to Chekhov's one-act plays about the unpredictable climate of love.

David Gwyn Harris' production shows a real appreciation of the depth behind the daftness.

In The Proposal, David Reeves as a hypochondriac suitor and Clare Howard as his brattish bride-to-be are both excellent.

The Bear stood out as a star piece and David Gwyn Harris gave a commendable performance as the gruff creditor who falls for a mourning woman whose pent up rage is an equal match for his own.

Marriage's mayhem and love is a mugs game but like these small masterpieces it is a drama that will go on for ever.