The rules of French farce are followed faithfully - or should that be unfaithfully? - in Don't Dress for Dinner at the Mill at Sonning, writes Roy Cooper.

Errant husband Bernard, played by former TV heart-throb Patrick Mower in a perfomance that hits the comic target nicely, sees a wonderful opportunity for a weekend of passion with his mistress Suzanne when his wife decides to visit her mother.

He hires a cook, invites his best friend Robert as cover, and can't wait to pack his wife off, rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of the hanky-panky to come.

However, unbeknown to Bernard, his wife Jacqueline, played by Deborah Moore, also has a secret lover - and coincidentally, it's Robert (Arthur Bostrom). So when she discovers he is visiting for the weekend, she promptly cancels her arrangements, announces that she too will be staying, and also looks forward to a night of illicit passion.

Bernard's amorous plans are in tatters, and how will he explain the arrival of his mistress Suzanne?

Thinking on his feet, he manages to persuade his friend Robert to pretend that Suzanne is actually his girlfriend.

Reluctantly, Robert agrees to go along with the charade - until the arrival of the cook, Suzette, leads to a classic case of mistaken identity and for the plot to spiral out of everyone's control. Dumpy Suzette, played brilliantly by Jean Perkins, dominates the stage with her cackly laugh, and her attempts to convince Bernard's wife that she is a top Parisian actress and model (don't ask why) are hilarious.

The dialogue sparkles with saucy lines - "You're getting paid for it, and you're getting laid for it" - and a scene in which Suzette's frumpy waitress uniform is transformed into a slinky black number is a masterpiece of comic timing.

All the roles are strongly played, completed by Cassandra Holliday as the sexy mistress, who finds herself confined to the kitchen, and Michael Gunn as Suzette's rather large, no-nonsense hubby. Director Hugh Wooldridge maintains an excellent pace and the imaginative use of the set - a converted country farmhouse in France complete with bedrooms called the Piggery and Cattle Shed (designed by Jacqueline Hutson) is also praiseworthy.

Does any illicit passion take place over the chaotic weekend, and will Bertrand's marriage survive? You'll have to see for yourself. Don't Dress for Dinner runs until August 5.