MERRY mayhem and classic theatre come to Basingstoke when Oliver Goldsmith’s delightful comedy She Stoops To Conquer arrives at The Haymarket next month.

See it from Wednesday, May 7 to Saturday, May 10. Mistakes and misunderstandings create a heart-warming and hilarious evening.

Charles Marlow, a well-bred young man from London, is beset with a stutter and a quiver when in the presence of elegant and educated young women. When his father sets him up with his old friend’s eligible daughter, he is totally tongue tied - but Miss Hardcastle is charmed by her gibbering suitor and employs an unexpected tactic to put him at his ease.

Meanwhile, country squire’s son Tony Lumpkin, on meeting Marlow and his dashing friend Hastings, leads them to believe that old Mr Hardcastle’s country house is actually an inn and the man of the house is the inn keeper.  

Mayhem and confusion ensue as the young men demand to be waited upon by a bewildered and increasingly outraged host!

Katherine Senior, actor and founder member of Creative Cow Theatre Company, said: “She Stoops to Conquer is a fabulous piece of comedy and one of the funniest plays of any era. 

"You see bits of the plot used again and again in today’s sitcoms, proving how brilliant and insightful Goldsmith’s writing was. ”

Tickets: Wed-Thu £20, over 65s £18. Fri-Sat £22, over 65s £20. 2pm performance £17, over 65s £15. Under 16s & full-time students £11 any performance.

All ticket prices include £1 booking fee. For more information, call the box office on 01256 844244 or log on to anvilarts.org.uk.