ALISON CROOSE West Acre River Studios

ALISON CROOSE

This wasn't a laugh-a-minute show – the laughs came faster than that.

It was a rollicking, non-stop romp encompassing all sorts of humour from the slapstick to the surreal – and in the best West Acre tradition is was delivered with great panache.

It would be difficult to define the nature of the entertainment, but director Andy Naylor has penned a finely-crafted script – all of it in verse – delivered with such pace there was barely time to savour one nugget of humour before the next one hit home.

When you are seeing double there is bound to be confusion and the hilarity caused by mistaken identities was endless. Some of the funniest moments were when the cast burst, Dennis Potter-style, into miming a song appropriate to the action.

This comedy of confusions was enacted by a strong cast who portrayed a bizarre collection of engaging characters – not least the singing nuns who always raise a laugh. Particularly memorable were performances of Issy Huckle and David Connor.

The audience loved this colourful, superbly-staged, action-packed show which is a wonderful distraction in the run-up to Christmas.