After seeing Watford Palace’s magnificent production of Absent Friends earlier this month there’s another chance for audiences to wallow in ‘70s nostalgia as the Kings Langley Players take on another Ayckbourn play, Bedroom Farce.

If anyone can synchronise the bed-hopping antics in this early Ayckbourn hit, the ever innovative, resourceful and witty Players are up to the task. Director Sally-Anne Rafferty hasn’t been to see Absent Friends at Watford Palace, mainly because of the fast pace of rehearsals, but also because she wanted to make this Ayckbourn play her own.

Sally-Anne says: “I’ve read the reviews, but I didn’t want any preconceptions. I wanted to use my own fresh perspective from what I could glean from the script, and it’s so well written it speaks for itself.”

The sanctity of the bedroom is well and truly violated in Ayckbourn’s supremely funny play, involving four couples, three bedrooms and one disastrous night.

Ernest and Delia’s anniversary evening out doesn’t live up to expectations, so they end up back at home munching pilchards on toast in bed instead. Delia is worried about their son Trevor’s relationship with his flaky wife, Susannah. Delia believes he should have chosen the more robust Jan as his spouse.

Meanwhile, Trevor is busy boring hapless young Kate and Malcolm (newlywed hosts of a house warming party) about his rocky marriage to neurotic Susannah. In his hosts’ bedroom, Susannah catches Trevor in a passionate clinch with ex-girlfriend Jan. Who in turn has left her husband, Nick, at home in bed nursing a bad back. Cue one ruined party, much mayhem and a lot of laughs at the expense of all four couples.

Sally-Anne points out that although the play is called Bedroom Farce, it never resorts to the stock-in-trade trousers round the ankles style humour.

“It’s not actually a farce at all. Ayckbourn called it that I think to irritate the critics but it backfired and he ended up calling it Bedroom Farce: A Comedy. It has farcical elements but there’s none of that running in and out of rooms stuff. The dialogue is very real and funny. “Ayckbourn is hugely popular with audiences and this early script holds its own against anything written today. It’s incredibly witty and I’m sure most of the audience will relate to one or more of the characters and the absurd situations they find themselves in, so there is really no need to play it over the top.”

To style the show, Sally-Anne has been raiding the wardrobes of other KLP members, including her stage manager Jean Balmforth.

“We’ve got a long floaty floral Laura Ashley number for the flighty Susannah to wear. Then Jan is in a shorter outfit with red platforms and newlywed Kate, we call her and Malcolm love’s young dream, is in a mini-dress and knee high boots. That’s the nice thing about the era – you can play on the different dress lengths to suit the characters.

Sally-Anne says the play will open and close to the tune of Carole Bayer Sager’s 1977 hit You’re Moving Out Today and a lot of the props are also authentic ‘70s kitsch. “We’ve sourced some authentic wallpaper – there are quite a few rolls of this terrible floral print and a bold children’s pattern with dolls on it.

“I’m having a whale of a time directing the show, as it just gets funnier and funnier as the actors let go and really get to grips with all the physical comedy.”

Bedroom Farce kicks off a whole season of comedy from the Players. There’s a family treat for Christmas: Dick Whittington, marking the return of traditional pantomime to Kings Langley’s stage. Next spring sees a contemporary comedy called Lucky Sods by John Godber about winning the lottery, followed by a much-loved comedy from JB Priestley, When We Are Married, which throws the comedy cat among the pigeons when three couples celebrating their silver weddings discover they might not be married after all.

Bedroom Farce is on stage at the Kings Langley Community Centre, The Nap, Kings Langley, from Thursday, October 23 to Saturday, October 25 at 7.45pm. Tickets 07906 695959.