ALTHOUGH the festive season is long gone, Father Christmas will still be around later this month at Farnworth Little Theatre.

He appears in the Alan Ayckbourn comedy, Sugar Daddies, as the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

A good Samaritan, in the shape of a naïve country girl, comes to his aid. and when she welcomes him into her home, he begins showering her with presents - and not the ones left over from the children's Christmas stockings.

In true Ayckbourn fashion, things get a little complicated after another middle-aged man appears, and all the characters are gradually revealed in their true colours.

Although the play offers critical comment on the dangers of role-playing, it has a liberal supply of witty and hilarious moments.

Sugar Daddies, Ayckbourn's 64th play, was first presented at his theatre in Scarborough in 2003. As all productions there are in the round, Farnworth is continuing the tradition, with many of the audience on stage, and the cast performing in the auditorium.

The director is John Howarth, who was judged best actor by the Greater Manchester Drama Federation in 2000 for his role in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and was awarded the GMDF's trophy the following year for his direction of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, both at FLT.

His cast includes Catherine Jackson as good Samaritan Sasha, comedy award-winner Lisa Garrish, Bob Howell, Dave Eyre and Carole Taylor.

The production runs from March 17 to 24. Bookings are on 01204 303808 from 5.30-7.30pm . Further details from the website at www.farnworthlittletheatre.co.uk.