IT'S quite a lot to take on, presenting the lives of two men on stage in just one evening.

And it's quite a bit more again to achieve this with just two actors and one pianist, with a little bit of help from a few props and the odd sound effect.

I came away from the first night of Tom McGrath's Laurel and Hardy gobsmacked by the abilities of Ben Fox and Christian Patterson, who become, respectively, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. For a full running time of two halves, they danced and sang, played different parts and recreated live on stage some of the duo's greatest routines for our viewing pleasure.

On a gorgeous monochrome set, they rattled through Norvell 'Oliver' Hardy's early years in Harlem, Georgia, and British Stan's early collaboration with - and first marriage to - Australian Mae Dahlberg, providing us with a wonderful balance of information and entertainment.

Things reached a wonderful climax at the end of act one, which culminated in the formation of the pair as a double act. In reality, Putting Pants on Philip was their first big hit - in McGrath's hands, this became a hilarious title debate as they wondered whether Stan Put Your Pants On was just as good. Fans were thrilled to see decorating apparatus being brought on stage, followed by a vibrant re-enactment of one of Laurel and Hardy's most famous routines. Even though we knew what was coming, it didn't make it any less hilarious, and proved that these moments of genius have lost none of their potency.

I first became au fait with Laurel and Hardy thanks to the Hanna-Barbera cartoon which ran on television in the early 1980s, and Ben and Christian's performances recalled a really impressive amount of its detail, and, more crucially, the mannerisms of the real performers.

Christian had perfected Oliver's swift scooping motion of removing his bowler hat, rolling it off from the back, which was a small but vital element which had clearly taken a lot of work. He also had the little wave and tie flutter down pat. As for Ben, his rubber-faced efforts were brilliant to watch, his scared face alone absolutely hilarious to regard.

Things flagged a little in the second half, when things were less fun for the characters, and, as a result, the audience. We were taken through the period when, after an insane work schedule - 44 movies in ten years - age caught up with the men, and the multiple marriages took their toll. The fun flagged, but every set-up was still presented in an inventive and admirably energetic fashion.

This is a classy, ambitious piece, infused with nostalgia and performed with impressive vigour, which is well worth catching before its run at The Haymarket ends on Saturday.

Tickets are available from the box office on 01256 844244.

12:12pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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