Second From Last In The Sack Race, Marco Players at Chorley Old Road Community Church. Runs until Saturday THE Second From Last In The Sack Race by Michael Birch is a tragi-comedy adapted from a novel by David Nobbs.

It tells the tale of the unfortunately named Henry Prat's childhood. Set in Yorkshire the play begins in 1935 and moves through to the mid-40s, successfully capturing the mood and attitudes of the war years.

It revolves around Henry's fractured family exploring the themes of loss, family ties and class divisions. The dialogue is full of blunt Yorkshire humour and the characters are familiar stereotypes that still feature in homes everywhere.

The play is presented by the Marco Players and although there are more than 30 characters, they are all performed by just eight cast members.

All the actors handle this challenge well and are fairly convincing in their varied roles. However, the star of the show is definitely Henry, whose honest and naive observations provide a vehicle for some of the best comic moments.

This is a frank and honest play which conveys the tone and atmosphere of the time. The regular scene changes keep it moving along at a steady pace, although it does slow down in the middle.

The play still has tickets available on 840824/848935.

By Jo Cocker