Alan Ayckbourn is surely a pioneer for the type of comedy drama which spawned Alan Partridge, The Office, Peep Show and even Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party.

And Absent Friends, written in 1974 before any of those television scripts, is one of the most excruciatingly painful examples of that genre – black humour fueled by embarrassment.

Colin’s girlfriend has died, she has kicked the bucket, she is pushing up the daisies but after a few weeks of agony, he is over it and cheerfully ready to move on with his life.

But his friends, seemingly intent on cheering him up, seem to want him to grieve and to feel, in some small part, as miserable as they quite clearly are with their lives.

Ashley Cook plays to role on Colin to perfection, mixing the aforementioned Partridge’s annoying, cringe-worthy habits with the naivety and goodness of Frank Spencer.

All of the characters play a large part in this play and, while not a lot happens, you leave the auditorium feeling as if you know them better than they know themselves.

It might be set very much in 1974 but it is still as relevant as it was when Ayckbourn wrote it.

It is intriguing to watch and, directed by Michael Cabot, features several genuine belly laugh moments.

See Absent Friends at Richmond Theatre before it closes on Saturday. Visit atgtickets.com/richmond for more details.