HATS theatre company have, once again, demonstrated their courage in putting on a difficult play.

Noises Off, Michael Frayne’s slightly dated showbiz comedy about a play, within a play is hilarious.

It’s about a group of incompetent players who attempt to take on tour their clichéd performance of Nothing On.

The cast of nine are all well suited to their roles, especially Jonathan Coupe as Nothing On’s hapless director who rarely keeps his cool and uses sarcasm and irony to keep his cast on their toes.

Everything goes wrong for these unfortunate amateurs. They forget their lines, lose their trousers, mix up props and miss cues. A vital prop in the form of a plate of sardines appears in all the wrong places.

Act One spotlights the disastrous dress rehearsal Act Two, in my opinion, the funniest, illustrates a matinee performance seen from backstage through the eyes of actors and stage crew.

When we get to Act Three things couldn’t be worse. It’s a public performance during which door handles come off, actors replace one another and the set collapses.

You will collapse yourself – from laughing! The cast are all excellent. Their energy is phenomenal as they rush up and down stairs.

I like Anita Partridge as the well named Dotty Otley, Colin Baker as Garry Lejeune and Debbie Dickerson his sex kitten in the other play.

Well done the set design and construction team and also to Anita Partridge who devised the programme to include both plays.

* Noises Off is at St Hugh of Lincoln Parish Hall. Glastonbury Road, Stretford until March 25th.

For tickets, call 0161 748 5040 or email tickets@hatstheatre.com.

Star rating: * * * *