Angela great at dishing out the orders

9:24am Monday 3rd March 2008

Angela Thorne, who always had to play second fiddle to Penelope Keith's overbearing Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton in television's To The Manor Born, enjoys a role reversal in Ring Round The Moon at the Playhouse Theatre, London.

This time, as a dictatorial aunt, Madame Desmortes, she dishes out the orders (albeit from a wheelchair) and everyone jumps to obey in this intriguing comedy.

A new production of Jean Anouilh's award-winning comedy, adapted by Christopher Fry and directed by Sean Mathias, deals with mistaken identity and affairs of the heart in 1950s French society.

Miss Thorne, despite a couple of fluffed lines, skillfully plays the acid-tongued old aristocrat who brings a touch of sanity to a mismash of plots.

She sets about taming the heartless and cynical Hugo, who uses a spring ball to manipulate the guests and his sensitive identical twin Frederic.

JJ Field makes an impressive West End debut as both twins, cleverly showing throughout the contrast between the ruthless Hugo and the kindly Frederic.

There is rich support from new talent Fiona Button and Elisabeth Dermot Walsh.

Miss Dermot Walsh convincingly plays Diana, with whom Frederic is hopelessly infatuated - a situation which Hugo is determined to change with a far-fetched scheme. This involves Hugo hiring Isabelle (Fiona Button), a beautiful ballet dancer, to pretend she is a relative of one of the guests with the task of making Frederic fall for her.

As the web of deceit unravels several comic situations present themselves and unfortunately some of them are not fully exploited by the script. But there is one hilarious dance scene involving Lady India (Emily Bruni) and her secret lover Patrice (Andrew Havill).

There is also an excellent comic performance by Belinda Lang, whose many television credits include the romantic lead in Dear John. With the passing of years, she is now perfectly cast as Isabelle's ambitious, interfering working class mother. She is a real scene-stealer!

With Joanna David, Peter Eyre and Leigh Lawson also on the button in delivering some sharp comic exchanges, Ring Round The Moon provided moments of mirth while giving a cynical take on love.