Oh dear. Imagine you’ve got an overly theatrical friend. Now picture him asking his mum and her mate to do a dire play with him, and you’ve got something resembling ‘A Cut In The Rates’. The whole thing is centred on the twist at the end, a twist which (thanks to the acting) is in no way a surprise. The acting is either completely over the top, or incredibly tentative, depending on who’s speaking and the whole experience is a bit painful. Fans of Alan Ayckbourn’s work may like this simply because it’s one of his lesser known plays, though it’s more likely they’ll just be offended. Possibly not the best way to spend an hour of your life.

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, until 25 Aug, 12.30pm.
tw rating 1/5 | [Jasmine Faller]