THIS bums-on-seats production is played almost wholly for laughs - usually dirty ones. Bolton Little Theatre have previously staged both Bouncers and Shakers during separate runs. This latest two-for-the price-of-one offering adds more topical jokes while retaining the essence of the originals. Sometimes the females play fellas and and at others the guys strut their staff as women . It's all good, not-so-clean fun.

Shakers brings on the girls - Heliene Godding, Stephanie Bradley, Sharron Knott and Julie Crowder who are first the waitresses in a cocktail bar and then their often dislikeable customers who range from the bores from the Beeb to the supermarket check-out girls.

The girl-talk is very funny but there are moments of pathos notably when Adele (Heliene Godding) confides in us about having an abortion when she was a schoolgirl.

When the guys - Mark Leigh, John O'Connell, Gary Harvey and Connor O'Beirne - swagger in for Bouncers, the language and the action get ruder and cruder and everything is done in the worst possible taste. Although Lucky Eric (Mark) demonstrates through his "speeches" that even doormen have feelings.

Those of a prudish disposition would be well advised to close their eyes and cover their ears during the scene in the urinals, despite the fact that all is suggested and nothing is seen.

The actors become the laddish customers in the nightclub and then, with only white handbags as accessories ,the four swing into female mincing mode to hilarious effect.

There's a surprise ending. Suffice it to say that it is not unconnected with The Full Monty and it nearly brought the house down.

There are few props and no changes of costumes. But the eight versatile performers, astutely directed by Andrew Close, don't need them. The first-night audience thought it was all terrific fun and so did I. Doreen Crowther

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