The bedroom is perhaps the last place anyone would want a 'farce' to take place, but that was exactly the unfortunate fate of four couples in Bedroom Farce, the latest production from the Kings Langley Players.

At the centre of the problem is the marriage of Trevor and Susannah, whose relationship hits the rocks when Trevor is discovered kissing Jan, his ex, at newlyweds Malcolm and Kate's party.

While Susannah flees to Trevor's parents, Ernest and Delia, for cocoa, Trevor seeks solace at Jan and Nick's, whose own marriage is filled with arguments and bickering.

First time director and regular Player Sally-Anne Rafferty called on a host of new faces to join Guy Peskin, Alan Yates and Nick Davey on stage. In addition, Alan's son Carl was handed his first lead role, while Lisa Stone followed her turn in last season's The Crucible to play the offbeat Susannah.

And they didn't disappoint. Particularly enjoyable was the relationship between Ernest (Peskin) and Delia, played by Louise Green. The quickfire banter between the couple, who were celebrating their own wedding anniversary but ended up eating pilchards on toast in bed, didn't miss a beat.

Nina Hearne (Jan) and Cat Bassett (Kate) also proved worthy additions to The Player's cast, a versatile bunch that never fail to produce excellent shows.

In addition to his acting duties, Davey found time to design the set, creating three separate bedrooms on stage. The effect of this was heightened with excellent lighting techniques from Ron Balmforth, who used spotlights to move the action between bedrooms.

On many occasions the actors out of the spotlight remained on stage, blanketed in darkness, and as a result, Alan Yates spent a large part of the first act lying on the floor, as his invalid character howled for help.

This was crowd-pleasing performance in front of a near full-house, setting a high standard for Rafferty's next show.

Michael Pickard