Runs until Saturday WOODY Allen's self deprecating humour is not always to my taste, but Play It Again Sam stays the right side of maudlin and is very funny.

The play has some superb one-liners, many of them stylishly delivered by Stephen Stubbs playing Allan Felix who has been recently abandoned by his wife.

Stubbs brings a robust quality to the role which is needed to make his character believable.

Allan's hero and mentor is the film star Humphrey Bogart, played with suitably Bogartesque accent by Robin Thompson. He gives an hilarious performance which the first night audience relished.

Rachel Hadjigeorgiou is a delight as Linda, wife of Allan's best friend, Dick. She attempts, without success, to "fix up" the neurotic Allan with a variety of "dates" before realising that their platonic friendship could lead to something more.

Stephen Meredith fleshes out the character of Dick, the workaholic friend and Meredith Collinson does sterling work in various costumes and wigs as Allan's wife and potential girl friends.

Isla Crawford makes her mark as the remainder of the girls who drift in and out of Allan's life.

Director Sandra Simpson has kept the production tight and the flashbacks and dream sequences fit seamlessly into the action.

You need to have seen the film, Casablanca, to appreciate some of the jokes, but then who hasn't?

On the first night the Forge Theatre was full and deserves to be for the remainder of the run. DOREEN CROWTHER

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