The plot of Ray Cooney’s farce epitomises a quotation from Sir Walter Scott: “O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.”

The web woven by the play’s desperate central character, bigamous taxi driver John Leonard Smith (ably portrayed by Alec Smith) could scarcely have been more convoluted. The plot hinges on a planned meeting by the teenage offspring of John’s two families. Daughter Vicki (Mary’s) and son Gavin (Barbara’s), having chatted on the internet, are intrigued that their fathers share a name and profession.

Bradley Cowtan and Veronica Ricketts were excellent as Gavin and Vicki, innocent victims of the mayhem that erupted around them. Alistair Aitken was brilliant as the unfortunate lodger Stanley, who instead of taking his confused old dad (well played by Mel Hopkins) on holiday, becomes a stooge for John's misdemeanours.

Fruitless phone calls, a forgotten purse and misapprehensions galore fuel the confusion. Imaginations run riot and fantastic fibbing escalates to stratospheric levels. The wives, played effectively by Karen Smith as Mary and Emma Davis as Barbara, eventually have the last laugh.

A well constructed set, designed by Dick Clark, accommodated a living room occupied simultaneously by the two households, with three sets of doors and a staircase.

The play, co-directed by Doreen Hewer and Wendy Mitchell, had ideal incidental music, Love and Marriage and The Great Pretender. Effective sound was by Jeremy Goode and Rachael Johnson; excellent costumes and props set the seal on a hilarious evening.