IT’S Christmas in Margaret and Martin Duggan’s house in the north of England, and the house is full: full of seldom-seen relatives, inappropriate gifts, family feuds and resentments, alcohol and culinary disasters… let the festivities commence!

“It’s the most important thing in comedy, comic timing…” says Great Uncle Goff, and there was plenty of that to be enjoyed here, particularly from David Balfour (excellent as the slightly wacky yet cynical Goff), Hilary Causey (first-class as his straight-talking niece, Margaret) and Neville Green (Margaret’s inebriated Irish husband).

With gritty Northern observational humour and language to match, this isn’t for the easily offended, but the witty and pithy script was delivered, despite a few opening-night stumbles, with essentially panache and flair under Louise Overton’s deft direction, plus admiral visual humour (charades, anyone?). If you like the familial observations á la The Royal Family, then you’ll love this!

Great fun!