The Marlborough Players’ latest offering, an Alan Bennett farce, proved a sell-out and had the audience roaring with laughter.

With 1960s music playing gently and a view of a superb psychedelic set, the atmosphere was created even before the first line was delivered. From the moment David Williams as Dr Wicksteed began his opening soliloquy, through to his final delivery, the action galloped along, delivered by a strong and confident cast.

The dysfunctional Wicksteed family is introduced by Mrs Swabb, played with a faultless Liverpudlian accent by Sam France, and so the farce begins, with mistaken identity, trouser-dropping and face slapping all being carried out with the timing of a professional team.

Each character has some psychological issue; flat-chested Connie acquires an ‘appliance’ to increase her chance of finding love (Bridget Walker blossoms in the role); Sir Percy Shorter (Richard Goddard), paranoid about his diminutive stature and the lofty, lecherous Canon Throbbing (Nick Swift) meet in moments of hilarious physical comedy alongside a Welsh Mr Shanks (Tony Michael) who takes on the task of checking the breasts of all the female characters, igniting the passions of Muriel Wicksteed (Luci Bowers) who mistakes his attentions for love.

Stoical Lady Rumpers (Namrita Price-Goodfellow) has a past which catches up with her and her beautiful daughter Felicity (Anna Friend) finds that by chance she has repeated her mother's mistakes so sets her cap at hypochondriac Dennis (Ed France). And then there is poor Mr Purdue (John Blunden), left hanging throughout the interval.

The quality of direction and the acting was more than you might expect from a local amateur group and the backstage team, lighting and sound, enhanced the whole experience: they should be all congratulated for putting on such an entertaining production.