Round the Twist, by Brendan Murray, presented by Eastern Angles, Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich, until January 7

Round the Twist, by Brendan Murray, presented by Eastern Angles, Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich, until January 7

Take the Concise English Dictionary of Dickensian Puns, multiply by double entendre and factor in innuendo and you get the unmissable Eastern Angles’ Christmas show.

Add a bit of cross-dressing and some prime musical numbers and it amounts to an evening of great entertainment and merriment.

Most of Dickens’ best known novels and characters get a mention while the cast of five romps through a plot that is best described by the title of the piece.

A theatre company enters the Old Curiosity Shop and puts on a play written by Oliver Nicklefield who himself takes the leading role of Tiny Tom.

Not a good judge of character, orphan Tom gets entangled with the large woman in white, heartless Dorabella and the evil Obadiah Snoop. Meanwhile the faithful Foggotty, madcap inventor Jammy Dodger and doting Little Mell are almost family.

The performances are splendid. Joel Sams, as the young hero, is hugely watchable. A fine actor with admirable enunciation he is also a strong singer, with a dashing stage presence... and a violin.

Sally Ann Burnett is a consummate Mrs Crumbles, Foggotty and occasional Dorabella, and Gabrielle Douglas as Joel’s love interest Miss Moody, Little Mell and sometimes Dorabella is, by turns, endearing and capricious.

Zach Lee who, among others, is the villainous Snoop lurks the set with glee, full of malign intentions and a Wolverhampton accent.

And what can you say about the glorious sight of Greg Wagland in full sail as Miss Haversack? He is a great white galleon of a woman although his real gender is never in doubt.

He is also bekilted Scot McCaber who unaccountably lives in Ipswich.

The fun in this year’s highly enjoyable Christmas show is more verbal than slapstick and you may well find yourself groaning as well as laughing at the jokes, which come thick and fast.

The songs and music, by Richard Taylor, are nicely delivered, showing off some good harmonies and skilled musicianship. The steampunk set is a delight to behold.

LYNNE MORTIMER