[An Enemy of the Circle]

The start's as good as this gets.

There's hints of Jeeves & Wooster and Belinda Lang is dry enough to be taken as an apperitif, nicely riling a crochety Robert Bathurst.

But then the former turns into Anne Robinson and the latter...stays crochety throughout and seems intent on the most rapid fire delivery of lines possible coupled with head at permanent lilt.

Serena Evans suggests twigginess, but the real Ent is Tim Bouverie who's positively oak pannelled! Tim Waller sports a constant screwed expression and by the interval everyone's rooted to the spot upon delivery and on 'pluminess' overdrive.

It's political too...Clive Arrindell sports a wig and does a cool Portillo impersonation.

They do manage t'squeeze the odd sap of humour out of Coward's script, but it's nominal.

Decent audience - deserved better.

2.5/5