Happy Birthday, a comedy by Marc Camoletti, performed by LADS, played to packed houses in Ledbury.

The farce was first performed professionally in the West End and in Ledbury the professionalism was just as high among the cast of five actors, who gave polished, pacey and very strong performances all round, with excellent direction by Shirley Lewis.

The story concerns Bernard, played superbly cunningly by Darren Skinner, who has somewhat foolhardily asked his mistress Brigit, played convincingly by Sally Watson, to his home on her birthday despite the fact that wife Jacqueline is present - a sassy performance by talented Rachel Williams.

The cover-up is completed as Bernard asks his oldest friend Robert, played suitably confused and astonished by Mark Llewellin, to pretend that Brigit is his own mistress on a visit to his house.

However, Robert is already having an affair with Jacqueline and to add to the complications, a temporary maid also called Brigit, a great performance by Janie Eaton, is hired for the evening, and arrives first - adding to the confusion, comedy and frantic bedroom swapping!

A highlight of the performance was the hilarious dance sequence, to Travolta/Newton-John's You're the One That I Want, as the cast danced and gyrated yet still maintained excellent characterisation and delivered all their lines without faltering!

Special praise must go to Janie Eaton, the maid, whose facial expressions as she encountered each couple in various romantic clinches, kept the audience in stitches!

Lisa Greaves