BLACKADDER and his sidekick, Baldrick, are at Altrincham Little Theatre, in Sale and Altrincham Musical Theatre’s Blackadder II.

Though not a mirror image of their TV Counterparts, David Moreton and Stuart Sephton give an equally amusing performance.

In an Elizabethan setting, Blackadder II follows that well-known combination of wit, exaggerated characterisation, cunning and vanity.

It includes other amusing characters such as Sean Botham who, as Lord Percy, has simpering charisma.

Jenny Hollinshead’s Queenie and Jan Taylor’s Nursie are great fun, too.

I love Queenie’s punchline: “I have the body of a week and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a concrete elephant!”

Our leading culprits never fail to plot events which seldom work out.

We enjoy four scenes. The first, Bells, features a woman, Kate (Angela Kate Cooke) dressed as a man who wins Blackadder’s heart. This hilarious scene has an unexpected ending.

Potato is about Sir Walter Raleigh’s discovery of the vegetable. On receiving a sample from Lord Melchett (Paul Rendel), Blackadder attempts to upstage Sir Walter’s maritime adventures.

A bottle of fine wine presented to Sir Walter and Lord Melchett turns out to be Baldrick’s urine!

As the title suggests, Head reflects Blackadder’s role as Lord High Executioner where he accidentally removes the wrong heads on the wrong days.

Beer is the rowdiest scene since it involves a drinking contest. Unfortunately, this occurs when Blackadder is entertaining his puritanical relatives, the Whiteadders.

This is my favourite scene. Blackadder drinks water with the Whiteadders hoping to learn of his inheritance, but his inebriated friends spoil it.

Superb costumes are the icing on an excellent cake

* Blackadder is a Altrincham Little Theatre until Saturday.

For tickets telephone 07594 771 051 or email samtheatre@hotmail.co.uk

Star rating: * * * * *