Humour lives on in 'bawdy comedy'

The Country Wife by William Wycherley may well be centuries old but the humour lives on.

Described as a "bawdy comedy in true restoration style", it belongs to the comedy of manners, a long tradition in English theatre.

It was started by Ben Jonson in the early seventeenth century, re-emerged in Restoration England with writers like Wycherley and has continued through the ages via Sheridan, Wilde and Coward to the present day.

Even at the successful premiere in 1675, The Country Wife shocked the "lusty" cavaliers. In the prudish centuries which followed it was not performed at all in its original form.

It was 1924 before the play resurfaced.

The play features an entire spectrum of colourful characters: Horner spreads the word that he is an eunuch to gain admittance to the bored and frustrated ladies of society -- and then sets about destroying that rumour; Pinchwife is trying to prevent his unsophisticated country wife making him a cuckold; And Harcourt is trying to woo Pinchwife's sister, Alithea away from her foppish fiance, Sparkish.

All this takes place within two eventful days.

A spokesman for BLT said: "The production has sparked a big team effort at the theatre."

Frances Clemmitt and Elizabeth Tatman have been designing and making the 17 costumes and Howard Sidlow is creating original music. Michael Tatman, who plays Sir Jasper Fidget, is directing set construction -- although of course not in his costume of wig and high heels!

Audrey and Jim Lias are directing the large cast led by June Grice, Rachel Hadjigeorgiou, Helen Price-Aindow, Peter Cheetham, Stuart Shaw, Stewart Smith and Stephen Stubbs.

The Country Wife will be staged 7.30pm from February 24 to March 3, at the Theatre's main stage, Hanover Street, Bolton.

Tickets are from the Albert Halls Ticket Office on 334400, or the BLT's box office by post or in person from Monday, February 19, between 6pm and 8pm, telephone 524469.