The phenomenally prolific Alan Ayckbourn weaves together a mix of black comedy, pathos and serious insight for another winner - his 74th.

He makes clear in his programme notes that the notable absentee from the cast list is the man in the title, George Riley.

We never meet him. But his personality pervades the lives of the three couples we do meet.

There’s his doctor, Colin, played in a gently downbeat, repressed style by Kim Wall and it is he who breaks the news that George has terminal cancer.

Colin’s wife Kathryn, a starchy, bossy Liza Goddard, with thespian leanings, can’t wait to spread the bad news to all their mutual friends. Everyone loves George, his friends, his pupils at school. George is fun.

The dying man’s lifelong friend Jack (Ben Porter) is devastated in a wonderful pastiche of today’s heart-on-sleeve, cringingly over-sentimental way.

Jack’s wife Tamsin, played by ex-EastEnder Laura Doddington, suggests they get George involved in the local drama group’s latest production with her, Colin and Kathryn.

Meanwhile Jack is trying to persuade George’s estranged wife Monica (a cool, self-possessed Laura Howard, Cully from Midsomer Murders) to go back to George in his hour of need.

Laura is content with a new man, a quiet, not very articulate farmer, Simeon (Jamie Kenna).

But it becomes apparent that George is neither helpless nor hopeless and is playing the situation for all it is worth.

He has his own agenda and working through it exposes the vulnerability of all the relationships with surprising results and revelations.