Playright Nick Fisher is a seasoned TV scriptwriter responsible for, among other successes, the BBC comedy Manchild, which, like Basket Case, enjoyed the talents of Nigel Havers But this is his first stage play and it feels a bit like a work in progress.

It has some very funny moments, a rant about Aga owners, jokes about golfers, some crisp one-liners and the odd moment of suspense producing a collective intake of audience breath.

The actors, Havers, Graham Seed, Christine Kavanagh and David Cardy, have to work very hard to give it some momentum. It is the actors who succeed in making the evening pleasantly entertaining, almost in spite of the play.

The story centres on a dying dog: perhaps not a promising start. Miranda (Kavanagh) summons Martin the amiable vet (Seed) and Guy her estranged husband (Havers) for the last rites. It was Guy’s dog, after all.

Between the lines it seems all is not well with Guy’s new relationship and he sees this emotional situation as a way to ease his way back into Miranda’s affections.

It’s a romantic, caddish performance that Havers does so well and his mini tantrums when Miranda disillusions him liven up a plot which is sometimes as feeble as the poor dog.

Cardy is James, a pet-hating golfing friend who finds himself embroiled in the domestic disorder. The end is inconclusive, as if the author simply ran out of ideas.