IF someone had told you that a play based on an Italian Commedia dell’Arte play, “The Servant of Two Masters” written by Goldoni in 1746, would be one of the biggest comedy hits of the 21st century, would you believe them?, writes Kerry Black.

Last week, Festival Theatre audiences were treated to the sheer comic genius of Richard Bean’s “One Man, Two Guvnors”.

Set in Brighton in 1963, this play premiered in London in 2011 and has enjoyed huge success ever since.

The writer obviously chose the sixties to pay homage to the classics of British comedy with outrageous characters ranging from a pompous, crooked lawyer to an upper class twit, who all look as though they had escaped from a Carry On film!

The show opens with a four piece skiffle band, The Craze, who were styled like Freddie and the Dreamers. In between each scene as the crew shifted the props, (dressed in brown overcoats and bunnets a la Eric Sykes), in a nod to Music Hall and Opportunity Knocks, there was musical entertainment from the cast, ranging from musical horns, to a ukulele, to a man beating his chest in time to music!

The central character of Francis Henshall, played by the amazing Gavin Spokes, in a loud checked suit which Mr Toad would have been proud to sport, tried desperately to juggle his two guvnors; a woman who was impersonating her dead twin brother, and her upper class boyfriend (who had murdered her twin!), while trying to stop them meeting. One of the greatest assets of this show was the sheer amount of physical comedy with folk flying about on tea trolleys, whizzing through revolving doors, or in the case of Alfie (Michael Dylan), the ancient, decrepit waiter – who could have given Norman Wisdom a run for his money – being thumped with a cricket bat!

With masses of audience participation, pantomime and even pyrotechnics, no wonder this National Theatre play has won numerous awards.

No wonder the hilarious cast, including Eastenders’ stars Shaun Williamson and Emma Barton, were called back for curtain call after curtain call!