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Arsenic and Old Lace, stage tour 2006, Dir Robin Herford

Following Franz Capra's wonderful film starring Cary Grant is a tough call, but this is a well staged play. The set is a delight with a staircase, landing, windows and doors that provide plenty of interest before the actors begin.

Wayne Sleep plays the part of the unscrupulous surgeon, Dr Einstein and, being so tiny, is contrasted well against the enormously tall Damien Myerscough as Jonathan, for good comic effect. Myerscough uses some nice quirks which make the audience laugh, and plays the violent and disturbed criminal very well - not an easy role when expected to be menacing and laughable by turns.

Louise Jameson and Sherrie Hewson are cast as the two elderly spinsters, Martha and Abby Brewster, and whilst Hewson is spot on, Jameson is miscast. Hewson plays her role with an engaging sweetness and carries off innocent eccentricity perfectly, incorporating elderly body movements and mannerisms which are never overdone. Hewson is an experienced comedy actress. Jameson is more used to acting in Shakespearean drama, and looks too glamorous for this role, with blonde hair and an elegant posture. Her only concession to acting the part of an elderly woman is wearing glasses, because her body movements are agile and quite lively which betray youthful fitness. At one point, she bounds across the stage to open the door which looks incongruous. Playing 'old' roles is hard and requires more effort than this. Frequently her accent slips back into her own English from the staged American which is a distraction.

Quinn Patrick is excellent as Teddy, the deluded nephew who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt and has a compelling stage presence, and Ian Targett as Mortimer almost identically tracks Grant's performance, mannerism for mannerism which is comforting, and he does well but lacks Grant's boyish appeal. It's fun, but Cary Grant is the master at these situation comedies and the Capra film still gets my vote.
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