TEAMWORK and comic timing helped keep an appreciative audience entertained throughout an energetic farce on Monday night.

A cast of six people at Malvern's Festival Theatre realised Marc Camoletti's bedroom farce Don't Dress for Dinner with aplomb.

It starred Robert Duncan, best known for his role as Gus in Channel 4's spoof documentary Drop the Dead Donkey, as philandering husband Bernard.

It starts with his dastardly plan to invite his very elegant Parisian mistress, Suzanne (Amanda Humphrey), over for the weekend.

However, it is thrown out of kilter when his wife, Jacqueline (Vicki Michelle, of 'Allo 'Allo fame) decides not to go to visit her mother after all. Little does he suspect the real reason for her sudden change of heart, and when a mystery blonde (Carol Harrison) turns up at the house things are complicated still further.

As with every good farce, the lies and deception become wilder and wilder as Bernard and his friend Robert (Giles Watling) try to stay one step ahead of the game.

The timing and delivery of the lines as the action became increasingly frenetic was of a very high standard, with Watling in particular revelling in the demands of his role.

Ian Dickens deserves praise for placing the cast together, as they worked well bouncing off each other whether delivering lines or carrying out slapstick stunts.

The play runs until tomorrow (Saturday). Jon di Paolo.