THOSE who made their way along to Malvern's Festival Theatre on Tuesday night were served up a dose of gentle entertainment from the pen of Alan Ayckbourn.

Time and Time Again is set in a suburban back garden and charts the loves and losses of five characters, two of which used to play opposite each other in Only Fools and Horses. John Challis and Sue Holder-ness, known to millions as Boycie and Marlene, are once again paired as husband and wife.

Challis' character, overbearing, pervy pub bore Graham, has more than a little in common with his previous incarnation - right down to the moustache, cigar and sneer when he made his entrance.

His effortless portrayal of the insensitive would-be adulterer made him an easy pick for most enjoyable performance of the evening, although he did have the best part. Holder-ness, who sounded very like Prunella Scales' Sybil Fawlty during the early stages, held her end up as his put-upon wife.

The other three parts, which formed the sides of a love triangle, were filled by Robert Duncan, Alexandra Lilley and Roger May.

Duncan's character did not quite metamorphose into the quirky-but-lovable anti-hero it was supposed to. Lilley was credible as the slightly grating love interest but of the three May's turn was the most convincing.

Some nice touches, particularly the interplay bet-ween those on the inside of the conservatory and those on the outside, who can't hear each other, and the idea of learning the first two lines of every poem in the Oxford Book of English Literature in order to sound impressive, kept the play engrossing enough, but it did not seem to have much to say. It runs until tomorrow (Saturday).

Jon di Paolo