RIOTOUS farce What the Butler Saw arrives at The Haymarket this month.

Fallen trousers, sexual indiscretions, mistaken identities and lewd puns abound in Joe Orton's riotous farce as characters lose the plot, their wits, and their clothes.

Little does Dr Prentice know that his moment of passion with his new secretary will have a very unwelcome audience - his wife, her blackmailing lover, a meddling government inspector and an inquisitive policeman.

Hiding a naked woman is the least of his worries though.

The show stars Jenny Funnell (Sandy in As Time Goes By), Marcus Hutton (Brookside) and David Callister (The Bill).

Jenny explained: “I play Mrs Prentice, who is described by her husband as a nymphomaniac and an alcoholic, and indeed Dr Prentice and Mrs Prentice drink whiskey throughout the entire play but never seem to be drunk!

“The play is Joe Orton's last and he never lived to see it performed. It is a comedy which criticises the double standards in society and attacks authority and conventional morality.”

Is its content as shocking as it was when it was first performed? “It shocked audiences in the sixties with its blatant sexuality but since then society's standards have become less restrictive although there are still many who may be shocked by it.

“It's very funny and although the situations that the characters find themselves in are bizarre and sometimes surreal, it has to be played utterly truthfully by the actors in order for it to work.”

Local audiences can see the production when runs in The Haymarket from September 17-19.

How have audiences been reacting to the tour so far?

Jenny revealed: “Audience reaction [at a recent performance] was fabulous.

“I hope the audiences will come away from the show having had a fabulous time. It will make them think and question the play's morality - but you have to put it in context with the time that Orton was writing about, which was the late sixties.”

A post-show talk will take place on Saturday, September 19 after the 2pm performance.

Box office: 01256 844244, anvilarts.org.uk