IT MAY seem that theatreland in January has nothing else to offer than panto but this is not the case.

The progressive Maskers theatre Company is performing something more substantial, yet still promising to put a smile on your face, at the Nuffield from Tuesday with The Relapse by John Vanburgh.

This crisp satire on late 17th century society gives us an insight into views of that time on politics, religion, marriage, money, and the theatre.

It plays off town life against country life and establishes that the former is not quite so sophisticated, nor the latter so nave as some would think.

Young Fashion, (Brian Stansbridge) arrives, penniless, in London and appeals to his elder brother, Lord Foppington, (John Souter) for financial assistance.

Foppington, who has already gone to some expense to purchase his peerage, needs every penny of his inheritance to support his lavish and fashionable lifestyle as a beau and self-confessed slave to fashion, and refuses to give any help.

Nursing his grievance, Young Fashion meets the matchmaker, Coupler, (Albie Minns) who has arranged a lucrative marriage for Foppington, but who has intelligence that his client intends to cheat him of his fee. Fashion gleefully accepts Coupler's plan for him to impersonate his brother and so obtain the hand of Hoyden, (Hannah Stansbridge) daughter of Sir Tunbelly Clumsey, an heiress of £1,500 a year.

The fun begins because Hoyden is not an innocent country miss, but a high-spirited seeker of town life. She does not mind whom she marries, as long as he can provide her with a London home and open to her a glittering world of social success and future conquests.

The show is directed by Ken Hann who has been with Maskers 35 years. "It is a very funny play, that's why we have done it," he explains. "It has elements of farce and pantomime. The extraordinary Lord Foppington could be a panto dame. Having done Macbeth last January, we felt we wanted a complete change of mood this year, something to brighten peoples evening so that they would leave with a smile to begin the new year."

Tuesday to Saturday January 17. Tickets: £9. Box office: 023 8067 1771.

Nuffield Theatre, Southampton