The Life of Riley

It was sometime since I had seen an Alan Ayckbourn comedy, so when his latest play "The Life of Riley" came to visit Oxford, I grabbed the opportunity to go with Zoe. And what an enjoyable evening we had. It is about a man called George Riley who finds out he is dying. But the trick is we never see George. His life is dissected by the three couples who perform on stage, typically for Ayckbourne in three gardens and a farmyard.

The actors are the same from the original Scarborough production and good they are too. Led by a very funny Lisa Goddard, they mostly bring a warm and comical edge to their characters. Except for the cool Simeon and Monica, the latter played by Laura Howard who is known forever in our house as the Cully, the daughter of John Nettles in thirteen series of Midsomer Murders. "What are you doing here Cully" as she unexpectedly turns up after a long absence.

There are some dark moments, but these are designed to contrast with the humour that had me chuckling along all through. Vintage Ayckbourn.