Alan Ayckbourn’s tale of two couples taking a river cruise holiday is a highly comic piece that takes on a darker and menacing edge in the second act.

The arrival of the outwardly affable Vince leads to chaos.

As with most of his work Ayckbourn manages to bring to the surface all the hidden fracture lines within relationships and in doing so we are guilty of laughing instead of sympathising.

The production has a strong cast all of whom give excellent performances.

Special praise must go to designer, Ben Stones, for his incredible set.

The rear of the stage has been turned into a vast woodland while the front is flooded to provide a river in which sits the boat – perhaps the real star of the production.

It provides the limited acting area for the cast to negotiate their way around and earns repeated cheers as it navigates through the water.

The destination of the cruise is to the Armageddon Bridge which opens up speculation as whether the play is allegorical – political or social morality. The ending has the suggestion of a return to the Garden of Eden.

Running for almost three hours the play would benefit from some trimming.

Four stars