THE near capacity first night audience showed their warm appreciation to the set designer at the opening of Table Manners, the latest offering from St Joseph's Players, directed by Katherine Roberts.

One of a trilogy of stories from the Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourne, it tells the tale of three couples bound together in close proximity one weekend where things don't go quite as planned.

What starts out as a nice friendly get-together becomes something of a journey of discovery for at least four members of the cast.

The loser in love Annie, marvellously played by Josie Evans, sets her sights on the rather gormless Tom (David Parkinson), not before, we discover, she has tasted forbidden fruit in the form of Norman, a brilliant over the top performance from David Dunlop, who raised the biggest laughs of the evening.

Of course there is the snooty sister-in-law Sarah (Marie Hoffman) who tries her level best to organise everyone and everything but ultimately comes a cropper.

Her long suffering husband Reg (David Hodgkinson) makes light of almost every situation, and lets her get on with it.

Ultimately things get a little heated and this is where the pace picks up keeping the audience amused right up to the finale and the visual gags were particularly well received. Linda Hurst

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