Kinver Light Operatic Society's latest outing Ski Whizz proved more of a yawn-fest than a comedy.

The play - set in an Austrian hotel at the start of the winter season - featured very little skiing and even less whizz.

Usually entertaining actor Calvin Dallaway struggled to hold together the supposed slapstick show at Edgecliff School Theatre, despite trying his best.

Unfortunately it was his soaked-through-with-sweat shirt that drew the biggest reaction from the audience, rather than his proficient, perfectly-timed delivery and larger than life characterisation as failing hotel owner Ernst Edelbaum.

Likewise, Sandy Allen was perfect as hapless, dithering but sweet hotel guest Jenny. Her performance was charming and believable, but seemed lost on the audience.

The role of Ernst's teenaged nephew Leslie was rather underplayed by Tim McGuire, although his performance was vaguely amusing in a Harry Enfield/Kevin and Perry sort of way.

Roger Allen's dramatisation of Philip - the runaway lover who dresses up as the hotel owner's wife to avoid detection by his ex-girlfriend - was very pantomime-like. But even when dressed in drag, the laughs were nowhere to be heard.

And as for Thelma King (bossy ex-school teacher Cecily Lacock) and Jacquelyn Horwood (hot-on-the heels ex-lover of Philip) - their wooden-as-a-garden-shed performances felt more like spoofs of a spoof.

Maybe they were all just victims of playwright Richard Ingham's humdrum script, but nevertheless the play - jointly produced by Rob and Gaynor Wiltshire - was possibly one of the most snooze-inducing amateur shows of the last few years...zzzzzz!

Bev Holder