Written in 1932 or thereabouts this play by Miles Malleson was never performed here and this production, directed by Jonathan Bank turns out to be one of those happy occasions when the unexpected occurs. It is not a great play, but it is a good one and it still works. Bank directed a production in New York for Mint Theatre and returns to it here with a British cast who rise to the challenge of a drama which starts off as one thing - it looks like a father and son squabbling is going to ruin a country weekend hosted by Anne and Stephen and becomes something else altogether. The happily married hosts are enjoying an open marriage and Stephen, the son with the same temper as his father, is about to embark on yet another affair with recently widowed Diana, with whom the couple years ago had spent a happy holiday. They have not met since. It seems that Anne is going to get an unpleasant surprise but we get the surprise. She too is in to having affairs. But no plot spoilers - things spiral merrily off and as well as the twists and turns of falling in love and loving there is the problem of Stephen's father, an upright cleric who is outraged by it all. Malleson is best remembered as a great comic actor from the many films in which he appeared - most notably perhaps as Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Ernest - rather than as a playwright, although he had some success. The cast seize their chances with Guy Lewis as the unpredictable Stephen managing all the twists and turns as he changes from indulged little boy husband to impassioned lover to browbeaten son with tyrannical father to lover of cricket almost in an instant. Meanwhile Laura Doddington presents an indulgent maternal front only to shatter it as we discover that she too is in to affairs outside marriage. Keisha Atwell as Diana and Dominic Marsh as Alan, the family friend, provide perfect foils and there is a stand out turn by Tony Timberlake as Stephen's hot tempered father. It written about the same time as Noel Coward's Design for Living and is actually even more shocking. Maybe in today's climate open marriages or open relationships are not quite as shocking but that does not mean the play suffers any loss - it fizzes along enjoyably, and merits those stars as a discovery, one all who like good theatre should hasten to see. For about the first five minutes I found myself thinking what one earth was I watching - and then I found out. A play with something to say and a very funny one as well.

Diana Streatfield - Keisha Atwell; Anne Meredith - Laura Doddington; Stephen Meredith - Guy Lewis; Alan Kirby - Dominic Marsh; Canon Gordon - Tony Timberlake.

Director - Jonathan Bank; Set Designer - Alex Marker; Costume Designer - Anett Black; Lighting Designer - William Reynolds; Composer & Sound Designer - Jane Shaw; Hair & Make-Up - Debbie Storey; Production photographs. Steve Gregson