Shakespeare Live brought the fun out of Shakespeare’s shortest play on their opening night.

The play, one of Shakespeare’s first, revolves around the antics of two identical sets of twins who share the same names, but were separated at an early age by a tragic shipwreck.

Two wealthy masters, Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus, own two slaves both named Dromio, which causes confusion when they both end up in the same place.

Tempers run high when masters and slaves are mistaken for each other and when Adriana, the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus, has dinner with the wrong brother, locking the door on her own husband.

The cast brought the flavour of Middle Eastern Turkey to the stage with colourful costumes, bazaar music and marketplace scenes with additional characters bustling back and forth.

They interpreted the play brilliantly and never missed an opportunity for comedy. Steve Sprosson and Rod Moor-Bardell, who played the two Dromio brothers, made the audience chuckle as they ran back and forth trying to fulfil their master’s requests.

Nic Proud and Elliot Davis, who played the two Antipholus brothers, also made the most of slapstick and farce, pulling frequent looks of outrage and confusion.

Although Shakespeare Live bills itself as an amateur theatre company, this performance had a professional edge. The whole play was fast paced, easy to understand, and thoroughly entertaining throughout.

Lackham House provided a splendid backdrop for the play, which took place outdoors with a covered stand for audience members, and plenty of people used the occasion to come early and enjoy a picnic on the lawn.