WHEN the world premiere of The Man in the White Suit transfers from the Theatre Royal in Bath to London it is guaranteed to be a West End hit.

Sean Foley has brought the classic 1951 Ealing comedy - which starred Alec Guinness - to life in this exuberant stage adaptation.

Adapted and directed by Sean Foley, The Man in the White Suit is based on the play The Flower Within the Bud by Roger MacDougall.

The fast-moving comedy reunites Stephen Mangan and Sean Foley who also created the Olivier award-winning production Jeeves and Wooster.

Stephen Mangan's superb comic timing and physicality is excellently complemented by Kara Tointon as Daphne Birnley.

The play also has a very strong supporting cast that includes Sue Johnston as Mrs Watson and Richard Cordery as Birnley, the mill owner.

But for me, the star of the show is the absolutely incredible set created by designer Michael Taylor.

I've never seen a set with such ingenuity and versatility - the uses it is put to have to be seen to be believed.

When Sidney Stratton (Stephen Mangan) invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out, manufacturers and trades unions are terrified by the threat it poses to their industry and their jobs.

Only Daphne, the mill owner’s daughter, shows Sidney any support as his world gradually falls apart before he finds love.

Watch out for the absolutely hilarious puppetry in the second act and expect side-splitting lines and comic action throughout.

The play also has some very topical references to the proroguing of Parliament and the classic line 'Don't you know how this country works'.

My verdict - it's one not to be missed.

John Baker