Alan Ayckbourn's dark comedy, 'Wildest Dreams' marks Carolyne Harrison's debut as a director with the Studio Theatre Club. The play starts with a group of friends playing a role-playing game in a darkened room. They are an odd collection - as you'd expect of Ayckbourn - a young, nervy girl, Rick (Laura Williams), who lives in squalor in the basement of her large house; a computer-nerdy teenager, Warren (Jamie Crowther), obsessed by aliens; and the hosts: a middle-aged couple, Stanley & Hazel (Claire Aston & Dan Booth) whose lives have been robbed of fun by Hazel’s cuckoo-in-the-nest bigot brother, Austen (Nigel Tait).

Into their dull but cosy lives comes a likeable newcomer, Marcie (Lucy Cheke), who is running away from her bullying husband Larry (Dave Weaver).  Unintentionally, she changes their lives forever. 

It's a typical Ayckbourn mix of comedy and dark doings, acted well by a strong cast. The interaction between the two onstage couples, Marcie & Rick, and Hazel & Stanley, works very well. There is also good playing of Warren's descent into fantasy and Austen's apoplectic tirade at Stanley. An enjoyable, well-paced production in a charming venue.

Trevor Stephens 20/04/05