The Critic

There's a high-profile RB Sheridan play in town - School for Scandal performed by the Comedians Theatre Company. I haven't seen it but the reviews make me glad that I picked this student production instead. Admittedly The Critic is not one of his major works, it's his take on the the absurdities of the theatre of his time, but it is a jolly jape.

Maybe more could be made of the social confrontations of the early scenes, but these young actors still play them with style and panache. However it's when we come to the rehearsal of Mr Puff's appalling Spanish Armada play that the production really takes off.

This play within a play should be an example of coarse acting, albeit one written long before Michael Green coined the phrase.

And here it's played to the hilt, the wooden hilt to judge by the swords on display. The more Puff praises his own dialogue the more awful it is revealed to be, even when cut to ribbons by his actors. One of the most impressive aspects of the production is the understanding the cast show of the 18th-century theatrical jokes. Each one raised a laugh.

Most enjoyable were the scene-stealing maid acting of the opening section and the play-stealing handmaid acting demonstrated in Mr Puff's masterpiece. The mad scene between lady (in white satin) and maid (in linen) was priceless.

Lest the men feel left out, please don't. I sat there chuckling and laughing, with a silly grin on my face throughout this utterly delicious production. Of course no critic could possibly be the fawning, buffoonish toady shown here, but I won't deduct any stars for this slander.

And I bet Sheridan would have loved the swine flu references.