Often this type of entertainment falls down with the playing of comedy but in the case of St John's Dramatic Society they avoided it by using items from a later age i.e. Max Miller, The Two Ronnies and Community Police; the last rather sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb.

The most important ingredient is of course the Chairman, who must be effulgent, egregious and the possessor of a vocabulary of similar rare words. This they had in the person of Peter Whittle whose rapport with his audience was instant.

I liked Jill Poulloin and Mary-Rose Goodliffe in their song 'Two Miss Browns' with its surprise ending and Tony Rapps gave us a rousing 'Galloping Major'.

The songs were divided into groups such as Cockney, American, Romantic and Patriotic, which the chorus and audience sang with great fervour.

Brian Miller gave us a very credible Max Miller complete with flowery suit that out millered Miller. Stand up comedy is quite an art and he kept the quips and asides flowing effortlessly. To complete this almost flawless impersonation though, he might have been less peripatetic. We were given the 'Fork 'Andles' sketch of The Two Ronnies which we could have joined in, as we have seen it so often, but still we laughed.

Ted Budden was a very Happy Wanderer replete with lederhosen and a supply of bawdy lyrics to keep us amused.

I thought 'The Chinese Pendant' sketch was hilarious with its running gag of snow showering the intrepid explorer Sir Geoffrey Price (Tony Rapps) each time he opened the front door. Willerby Pomfret (Stuart Scott) was the man about town wooing Miranda, the former's beautiful daughter (Rebecca Aspland), and Dr Fu Man Chu, the Chinese Master Criminal (Ron White) with various other characters appearing in this farcical farrago directed by Barbara Beckett.

Peter Bramwell directed the rest, David Lane was the accompanist and the many-talented Tony Rapps was percussion.

Peter Steptoe

4 stars