MY BIG Fat Greek Wedding was always going to be a hard act to follow for it's star and writer Nia Vardalos.

But with Connie and Carla she has more than exceeded herself, proving that she's no one hit - nor one joke - wonder.

Connie and Carla is a warm, well-written, very funny comedy which, like Vardalos' previous film, takes a very specific subject, in this case the world of drag queens and dinner theatre shows, and opens them up to a wider audience.

It's obvious that Vardalos set out to write a film about two unconventional, non-Holywood heroines but it works really well.

Connie and Carla's comic tirades against botox injections, obsessions with being skinny and female low self-esteem would probably be embarrassing in the hands of a less skilled writer or less accomplished actors but as it is they work perfectly.

Unlike some comedies, in which jokes are so thin on the ground that each one is milked for all it's worth, the jokes in Connie and Carla come so thick and fast that lots of them are little more than asides - clearly Vardalos has no worries about her well of comedy running dry anytime soon.

Inevitably, given its plethora of drag queens and big show tunes, Connie and Carla is reminiscent of such films as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Toni Collette's big break movie Muriel's Wedding. Fans of camp will love the glitzy costumes and silly dance routines, but the film avoids slipping into stereotypes of drag queens - as far as any comedy about a homogenous group of people can, anyway.

Although this is a fairly light comedy, it is given some depth by the subplot about transvestite Robert/Peaches (Spinella) and his difficult relationship with his straight brother Jeff (David Duchovney) who has difficulty accepting Robert's lifestyle.

Towards the end things get a little schmaltzy, but no one's perfect and you can forgive such a charming film for a few weaknesses.

An original comedy with heart, soul and fantastic costumes - Nia Vardalos is sure to have another big hit on her hands.

Rating: 8/10