“Ten Times Table” by Alan Ayckbourn
Bonington Players
Bonington Theatre, Nottingham.

If you're looking for a playwright who creates wonderfully warm and human characters, you'd not need to look further than Alan Ayckbourn. In this play, which is not one of his most well known, we see how one upmanship and a passion for something can escalate and get out of hand

The setting for "Ten Times Table" is a series of meetings of the Pendon Folk Festival Committee planning the re-enactment of the "Massacre of the Pendon 12", where the Earl of Dorset crushed an uprising of rebellious workers, led by John Cockle.

The committee comprises of characters with very different views of what the pageant should be and what it represents.

As the meetings progress, the group becomes divided by their opinions and political leanings.

The day of the pageant eventually comes with the two sides firmly reflecting the sides of the original event. The pageant ends in comedy chaos, having broadly recreating the original event, leaving no-one better off - especially when it turns out there is no historical authenticity to the Pendon Twelve Massacre.

The cast present a wonderful array of characters and Danny Longbottom (Ray) plays the inept Chairman, desperately trying to keep control of the meetings and refereeing between the members.

Chris Gardner (Donald) plays the knowledgeable Counsellor who brings along his hard of hearing mother, Audrey, played brilliantly by Linda Burgin, to take notes. A masterclass in physical acting.

Jennifer Chatten (Helen) plays a blinder in this role, going up against Eric, the new, and younger man, on the committee with some very forthright views. Josh Hayes, in the first comic role that I've seen him in, proves that he can do comedy as well as serious. Helen and Eric really rub each other up the wrong way and the finale turns out to be the fantastic farce that we know Ayckbourn for.

Charlotte Cordall (Sophie) and Gennie Price (Phillippa) are the pair of ladies who seem to share Eric,and are polar opposites character wise.

Nick Hill (Tim) makes his debut, and while there were nerves with Nick, he quickly got in his stride. Playing the jealous country bumpkin who transforms into a gun wielding military madman in the second act, his character emerged as one of the big, and quite surprising of characters.

Eddie Janusczczyk (Lawrence), who provides some wonderful and fine method acting, and Adrian Bacon (Max Kirkov) complete the cast.

Directed by Howard Whitehurst, who also was the Lighting Designer, he knows how to extract comedy performances from his cast, creating a wonderful farce and bringing these wonderful Ayckbourn characters to life.

David Goatham is responsible for the Sound Design, and this was really in the spotlight for me in the finale with the pageant sound scape. Off stage sounds which gave you the feeling that all the action was just through those double entrance doors of the theatre.

A simple set, which did exactly what it was intended to do and some wonderful costumes, especially Helen's pageant costume.

Being a fan of Mr Ayckbourn's work, I was destined to enjoy this fun farce and when you have a cast and crew that delivers this level of entertainment, well you're set up for a night of pure enjoyment.

“Ten Times table” is at Bonington Theatre, Arnold until Saturday 25 January