IT’S the 1970s in the North West and we are amid Salford’s burgeoning terraced houses where multi-cultural family-of-eight the Khans live.

Pakistani-born George has lived here since 1937 and together with English wife Ella, the couple run a busy fish and chip shop with help from their six teenage sons and daughters. But traditional Muslim George (Simon Nagra) struggles with his children ‘succumbing’ to modern ways and imposes more and more rules on the raucous bunch, who already sneak bacon into the house, refuse to go through with arranged marriages and take up art courses instead of engineering careers.

His wife Ella (Pauline McLynn) meanwhile is fed up of begging calls from her husband’s family for money and fails to understand the 1971 war between east and west Pakistan, focusing instead on protecting her children from their highly-strung father.

Tensions inevitably boil over as the uprising climaxes during a particularly tense meeting with the parents of two intended daughters when a rather rude sculpture is accidentally laid bare for all to see.

East is East the play, a reincarnation of Ayub Khan Din’s original stage version and remodelling of the 1999 BAFTA award-winning film, has all the ingredients to be, as billed, ‘hilariously’ funny.

The exposure of youngest son, the perpetually Parka-clad Sajit (Adam Karim) as uncircumcised for instance, should be very funny to live audiences. Discussions with a doctor over Sajit’s inexplicable imaginary cutting of string every time he turns a corner should have us falling off our seats. Ella’s chin-wagging chats over a cuppa and a fag with best friend Annie (Sally Bankes) should have been a laugh a minute.

And not forgetting the cast itself. Pauline McLynn has delighted audiences for years as the over-zealous, tea-making Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and many of the other cast members have years of experience of making people laugh. Sadly, none of the magic was there and the few murmurs of laughter at the Theatre Royal in Bath on Monday night were noted for their rarity.

The play did, however, make much of George’s increasing temper at the cultural clash of the 1970s his own family illustrated so clearly. Certainly a narrative on the changing face of Britain, this version of East is East was lacking in any moral or cultural question and felt more laboured than enjoyable to watch.

East is East is on at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday, September 19.