IF ever you had any doubts as to the power of the English language, then get yourself along to the Old Vic where Caroline Quentin is currently starring in ‘The Life and Times of Fanny Hill,’ for some good old ‘historical porn’.

This show has caused quite a buzz in theatrical circles and is a veritable coup for Bristol’s historic Old Vic theatre, not least because of its small but exquisitely formed cast; there is not one weak link, and the performance belies the amount of effort that must have gone into making this play work on stage.

Unlike John Cleland's novel, which was first published in 1748 under the title ‘Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure’, there is no happy ending for Fanny (in the original, Fanny lives a life of debauchery before finding happiness in marriage). In this version, however, the story takes on a distinctly feminist bent. It’s an interesting take on the story, but April de Angelis’ play certainly has what it takes to entertain in this day and age, bringing pleasure and pain together in an exquisite mix.

Neither are there bountiful displays of hedonism here; just the grim reality of life for many ‘working’ women, as relevant now as it was then.

Like most pornography, Cleland’s novel was pure fantasy, and De Angelis makes it absolutely clear from the start that this is exactly what this is; a story, but no fairy tale.

But be warned, do not come to the Old Vic expecting lots of graphic scenes and nudity; quite the opposite in fact, as brilliant costumes and innuendo do the job just as well - extra credit to Quentin for pulling off that corset. Wow!

Aside from one bare bottom bouncing up and down in front of Quentin’s face in one memorable scene, there is no nakedness at all, although the musical start to Act 2 ensures the second part starts with a ‘bang’.

However, the language used leaves the audience in now doubt at all about the raunchy goings on. It is quite amazing how intimate the performance gets, with some terrific acting by Gwyneth Keyworth as Swallow (young Fanny) and Phoebe Thomas (Louisa) making the need for gratuitously graphic scenes quite redundant; as Quentin herself points out, plenty of metaphor, alliteration and assonance can make getting down and dirty really quite prosaic.

There are nine sexual ‘interludes’ in Fanny Hill, the most entertaining of which are in Act 1, and the cast have no qualms in tackling any of them. However, the action becomes heavy in Act 2, when the characters’ destinies unravel in surprising plot twists, and it is a shame that some of the joy of Act 1 is lost as the ladies are undone.

Absolutely integral to the production is the music, under the direction of Bellowhead’s Pete Flood and performed on stage by the exceedingly talented multi-instrumentalist Rosalind Steele, whose invaluable input was not lost on this audience member. New interpretations of 18th century folk songs are imperceptibly woven into the performance, without which the production would certainly have lost much of its magic.

Forget 50 Shades of Grey, this is 50 shades of history, and just as juicy.

The Life and Times of Fanny Hill runs at Bristol Old Vic until 7 March 2015. Visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk for tickets and more information. Recommended for ages 14+.