Review: Killing Castro at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, until Saturday.

FRESH talent, a new play and a quartet of some of our most accomplished actors provided a more than satisfying evening's entertainment.

Brian Stewart is to be warmly congratulated for his scintillating comedy script, because although there is considerable dialogue between four members of a chaotic, crazy and comical CIA department - hatching bizarre ideas on how best to remove Castro back in 1960 - you never once consider switching off your concentration.

Clive Mantle, Edward Hardwicke and the outstanding Michael Praed - mainstays of the British stage for a good many years, along with relative newcomer Joe Shaw, are completely at ease with the script. They also improvise at will to great comedic effect as the bumbling plotters who come up with all manner of ludicrous schemes to oust the Cuban leader, including gift-wrapped socks with poisoned talc.

All in all a cautonary tale amazingly based on documented facts. It takes some believing - but its a gem. AJW