"Seasons Greetings" by Alan Ayckbourn.

Bonington Players.

Bonington Theatre, Arnold.

The follow up to Ayckbourn’s “Absurd Person Singular” in regards to festive plays. Christmas Eve at the Bunker household and Belinda and Neville are hosting. Neville slightly distracted by his various gadgets and Belinda tending the tree and being the perfect hostess. Bernard, a doctor, apparently not a very good one, Harvey, the Uncle is in front of the TV, watching some violence, and Neville and Eddie are engrossed in constructing remote control Christmas Tree lights. Rachel, Belinda’s sister is awaiting Clive, a writer who is in a non-starter of a relationship with Rachel. When Clive turns up, he seems to have eyes for someone else in the Bunker family. Throw into the mix a heavily pregnant Pattie and her selfish and quite lazy husband, Eddie and Bernard's lush of a wife, Pippa.

Act One sets the scene, and introduces all of the characters in the play, and gets you ready for an explosive, but very funny Act Two.

There are several wonderfully funny highlights within Act Two, which I won’t spoil but includes a brilliantly entertaining puppet show, created and performed by Bernard.

While being one of Ayckbourn’s funniest plays, it also highlights the sadness wallowing under the surface of suburbia and the pressure that some people are put under at Christmas to live up to what others expect of them.

Neville, Phyllis's brother, always busy fiddling with anything mechanical out in his shed, or on the dining room table, is played by Christian King. It may seem that Neville is either bored, or maybe no longer cares about Belinda, as bore out in a conversation between the pair while Neville is, yet again fiddling with a screwdriver and wires, but there's then a scene that shows his protective and caring side of his marriage. Christian I've seen now in several plays by The Bonington Players and know, just by looking at the show programme, that we will be in for a character-filled role from Mr King.

Belinda, who endures a stale marriage to Neville and resorts to flapping about the house, is played by Anna Hodkin. Anna portrays the hostess with the mostest, or maybe just the normal wife and mother at this time of year absolutely perfectly, and I've never seen anyone dress a Christmas Tree with such style and speed as Anna in the opening scene. Without giving too much away for anyone who does not know the story, there's a scene where Belinda shows her more passionate side, which is the direct opposite to the very last scene that Anna acts out where you again feel remorse or loss for the character.

Pippa, Neville's lush of a sister, is played by Lindsey Hemingway. My favourite script delivery from a character in "Seasons Greetings". I was so sure that I had spotted the source and inspiration for the real lush sections of the play, which Lindsey confirmed to me after the show to be correct - I won't spoil it by revealing that source. Loved the snakes and ladders scene and even though we weren't privy to the Christmas Eve kitchen scene, I had images in my head of Lindsey of how it would look from the descriptions from what was happening in the kitchen from the other characters. Marvellous method acting I imagine as I could never imagine Lindsey herself being a lush!

Harvey is Neville and Pippa's uncle, a cantankerous man who boasts about "thirty years' experience" as a security officer and bemoans the collapse of society while himself gorging on TV violence. Played by Philip Chapman, Harvey could have been lifted straight out of an unwritten "Fawlty Towers" episode. Having all that "security" experience of course makes him think that he can spot a felon immediately, and when one comes along that he thinks this about, he pulls no punches in exposing his arsenal of weapons he carries about his person. When he thinks someone is a "wrong'un", he takes action! I imagine Philip has had great fun in rehearsals getting this character just right, because it was fun from an audience point of view to watch Harvey evolve.

Bernard, Pippa's is a feeble-spirited doctor with strong views on non-violence. Every year he creates an elaborate puppet show for the children, which he fondly imagines they enjoy (though they actually hate it). Played by Wayne Hill there is almost a character within a character persona played out by Wayne. First off, the bumbling medical man, backed up in the conversations from the family members, and then in a scene later in the second act. Then there is this wonderful puppeteer role with puppet theatre (Philip Chapman, Helen Gardner and David Sweeney) and the most hilarious production of "The Three Little Pigs".

Rachel is Belinda's emotionally fuddled sister. Played by Abigail Taylor, she plays down her emotions for Clive, the writer who she has invited to stay over for the Christmas present giving period, but we soon see the depth of her feelings for her good-looking fancy man.

Eddie, a lacklustre man who tried to strike out on his own, workwise, but failed, is played by Luke Richardson. He'll do anything to not be in the same room as his wife and kids, only showing any sign of feelings for Pattie at one stage of the play, and for the shortest time. Ayckbourn is fantastic at people watching and writing characters from the people that he has observed, and you can just tell that this is one of those characters that he just had to create a character for. Wonderfully lazy, the sort of character that you'll see at most family gatherings sat in the kitchen avoiding everything and everyone, especially his wife. One scene to especially look out for is an explosive one concerning Pattie and Eddie and a book!

Pattie is Eddie's pregnant wife, largely ignored by her husband, is played by Jenny Adams. Jenny's physicality is spot on; there's not one movement that she makes without having the thought of how a pregnant woman would move or think. I am not going to automatically assume that Jenny has been in this position in her life, but it was almost as if she was "with child" on stage creating every move from that viewpoint. Another highlight that Jenny creates is the scene where she is helping Bernard with his puppet show.

Clive, a young writer and in a non-starter of a relationship with Rachel, is played by Billy Bamberger. I had to look twice because the last time I saw Billy, just a couple of weeks' ago he had his usual facial hair; for this role he is completely clean shaven and looks so different. Clive has an effect on one of the characters in the play and the scene between these two characters and a singing and dancing Christmas tree is another of this play's highlights. Billy made his Bonington Players' debut in his last production at Bonington Theatre, and it's good to see him back on stage again as this suave writer.

Directed by  Howard Whitehurst, who also designed the wonderful set. The only thing that slowed the pace to this show down was the scene changes, but these were covered by suitable musical interventions, but there were quite a few props to remove and replace for the five scenes. The cast are perfectly cast to their characters and is so life mirroring (is there such a word?) that he makes you feel like flies on a wall at a festive gathering.

Lighting and Sound Design is by David Goatham. Sound operation is by Michelle Bellamy and the Lighting Operator is Peter Hodgkinson.

There are so many props in this production, sourced and set dressed by Linda Whitehurst.

The costumes are sourced by Lindsey Hemingway.

I've seen this play before, but I could watch anything written by Alan Ayckbourn over and over again and still laugh as loud, especially with this cast. You will be able to spot your own family members within this play and laugh along with, and at them. Brilliantly acted by all, and I even spotted a couple of the actors secretly smiling to themselves at a couple of sections of the play, so if the cast are still enjoying their own play, after weeks of rehearsals, then you know that you're on to a winner. Either that or just listen to the volume of laughter throughout this two and a half hour festive fun fest (including interval).

"Seasons Greetings" is at The Bonington Theatre, Arnold until Saturday 24 January.