HULL Truck Theatre Company has been on the road since 1971, and John Godber's On the Piste, joins a long line of his plays which are successful well-written slices of modern-day life. The comedy is very funny, while showing us humans that we are more than fallible when it comes to relationships.

The play on at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham all this week, takes on the seemingly impossible task of showing a ski class and its Austrian hunk of an instructor actually skiing on stage. They manage this brilliantly. It even sounds right as we see the two couples Chris and Alison, Dave and Bev wobbling through their paces, but alas as their skiing improves so their relationships goes downhill.

The blond instructor, Tony, with his fixed smile and toned muscles, shown to their maximum effect in the sauna scene, adds to the strain, being prepared by his programmed dallying to move in on any willing woman.

John Godber directed this version of On the Piste and although this is the sixth Hull Truck production I have seen, the company still has all the freshness, wit and drive, and strong performances from the cast which is the hallmark of this vibrant company. Don't miss it!

Review by Martin Smith