WHEN a policeman clad only in blood, a police helmet and a leopard print dress holds aloft Winston Churchill's most private member to the heavens, then you know that you're witnessing a performance that is anything but run of the mill.

Racy even now, over 30 years since it was written, Joe Orton's work is a delightful farce offering an amusing view of sex, family relationships and the world of psychoanalysis.

The story begins with a (fairly) innocent seduction attempt, but degenerates into multiple insanity certifications, armed chases, transvestism and nudity. All the usual ingredients for a good night out then.

Michael Pennington's ever-more frantic Dr Prentice is a pleasure to watch, as unfortunate coincidence and blatant lunacy cause him and the rest of the six strong cast to slowly fall into chaos.

Kate Alderton as Geraldine Barclay and Edward Clarke as Nicholas Beckett both display a mildly unnerving talent for switching between secretary and oafish youth in turn, and Benjamin Whitrow is highly amusing as the maniacal Dr Rance. Jane Asher as the domineering nymphomaniac Mrs Prentice and David Cardy as Sergeant Match take a slight back seat to the others, but nevertheless display perfect comic timing and a fair portion of naked flesh.

A brilliantly written and expertly performed comic production, good for plenty of laughs and a wry look at the thin line between madness and genius. Oh, and there is no eponymous butler.

Phill Tromans