The Entertainer, The Nuffield, Southampton

THERE'S a time and a place for everything - and sadly The Entertainer had both a while back.

The play is set in 1956 as music hall is dying and abysmal comedian Archie Rice's (Granville Saxton) career is sinking like a stone.

The problem is, The Entertainer is so much of its era it's difficult to relate to - watching it felt more like an arts history lesson than entertainment.

What's more, and it may just be horribly politically correct of me, but I found the racist language difficult to endure, particularly as it wasn't countered by any of the cast.

Obviously the language reflects the time at which John Osborne wrote the play but the fact that it is so jarring is one of several reasons why it might have been best to let this sleeping dog lie.

There are some parallels to the present day world political situation but they are very superficial.

The play is by no means bad - it's well-directed and acted but of all the plays in the world that The Nuffield could have chosen to stage it's hard to understand why they picked this particular one.

Runs until November 13.