First, let us get the nudity issue out of the way.

This is something that has been at the heart of all the publicity for this show every since Terry Johnson adapted the famous film of Charles Webb's novel for the stage.

Past Mrs Robinsons who have bared all include Kathleen Turner and Jerry Hall but, in this touring production, Glynis Barber keeps her knickers on throughout.

There are two opportunities for nudity which both occur in the first 20 minutes.

The first comes when Mrs Robinson emerges from Benjamin Braddock's bathroom, seemingly clad in just a towel, and offers herself to him.

The second is at their first hotel tryst, where again, Mrs R could choose to romp on the bed naked.

In both scenes, the knicker-clad Barber keeps her back to the audience while dropping the towel or removing her bra.

Both scenes last just split seconds and I feel rather sad for anyone who goes to this production expecting nudity.

It is almost 40 years since the multi Oscar-winning film was made and the idea of adapting it for the stage seems odd, if not perverse, and the reason for doing so remains unanswered throughout this production.

The world has moved on since 1967 and this production, which is rather limp, adds nothing to the splendid screen performances of Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft.

Former Brighton girl Tamara Harvey directs this national tour following its West End and Broadway success and I believe she needs to exercise a slightly tougher hand over her cast.

Although it is performed on a splendid set - an acting area surrounded by louvered doors which smoothly transform the action from the living room to domestic bedroom, to hotel bedroom and finally to a New England church - it never allows the audience to care about any of the people involved.

I found the rather gauche American accents annoying and while I found Hoffman and Bancroft totally believable in the screen version, I found the cast here unconvincing in the main.

The problem is the two central characters are too close in age for a piece that is supposed to shock when the 40-plus Mrs Robinson seduces the 20-year-old Benjamin.

Hoffman was a master of that mix of innocence naivety and nerve, whereas this Benjamin (Andren Williams) seems to be of a similar age to Barber's Mrs Robinson and the sense of a young boy sleeping with his parents' best friend's wife comes as no shock at all.

You just cannot believe this 20-year-old is totally inexperienced in matters of sex.

I found Mr Williams rather irritating as he moved around the set lacking any of the excitement that sleeping with an older, beautiful woman might bring.

On the other hand, Barber, star of TV's Dempsey And Makepeace and Night And Day, sets the stage alight from her first entrance.

She is tall, rangy and alluring, a delightful piece of eye-candy for males of every age.

With her hair piled high and wearing a simple, purple shift dress with black underwear, she is indeed sex on legs.

Unfortunately, the later scenes do her no justice and the allure of intrigue and a very sexy hint of arrogance is shattered.

Where the film screenplay contained some great lines, this adaptation uses only temporarily amusing wisecracks and the dialogue is hardly sustaining.

Films rarely make good plays and I think this production proves that. My advice is to return to the original.

For tickets and further information, call 01273 328488.